


Circumstances

by ChyDev23



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, well this is gonna be fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:54:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 40,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24538813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChyDev23/pseuds/ChyDev23
Summary: Eve is a mostly tired, single mother who spends her days working as an art therapist. Villanelle is the best prosecutor in the city with a reputation of getting what she wants. And they absolutely dislike each other.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Comments: 266
Kudos: 708





	1. Making a scene

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello. Back again, but with a new fic! :0 I have had this idea for a few weeks now and plenty of my friends hyped me up to work on it. So I hope you enjoy. Kudos and comments are always hella appreciated.
> 
> Send some love to my beta reader and the very wonderful, jess. check out her blog! https://alesbianandherlaptop.com/
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe and taking care of their mental health in these very tiring and frustrating times.

**Eve. 7:15AM**

It was a busier morning than usual. Eve had only been awake for 20 minutes and she already had a massive headache. There was so much to do today. Truth be told she could have gotten some of the prep for this morning done while she was up late working on a new piece that was still sitting on the easel, unfinished. She shoots around the house, like a flash, as a blur of assorted colors and a mess of hair. From the kitchen, to her room, to the kitchen again. She’s putting together lunch for the day, huffing and blowing strands of hair out her face as she goes. The timer on her phone startles her as she grabs the juice out of the fridge. She curses under her breath, noticing the time.

“And of course he isn’t awake yet.”

She shuffles to the room just across from her own, the sounds of her very pink fuzzy slippers sticking to the wood flooring. She peeks inside to the dark room.

“Dakota,” Eve says moving into the room. No response.

“Dakota isn’t here, but I can leave a message for you.” The voice comes from underneath the blankets.

Eve flips the lights on, finding a legion of legos sprawled on the floor like a maze in front of her.

“It’s very interesting that you say that he isn’t here when his handy work is evident on the floor.”

Eve creeps along, making sure to avoid the carefully constructed pieces. She sits on the edge of the bed.

“When I know he loves hiding underneath his blankets!” Eve pulls back the blanket, immediately tickling his sides as he laughs.

“Okay, okay I’m here!” Dakota giggles out. Eve stops, brushing back the hair out of her 12 year old’s face. He had told her he was growing it out, wanting to don a ponytail because all his fave musicians wore ponytails. He had even nearly convinced Eve to let him put a blonde streak in it, until he decided to cut designs into his curtains last week.

“Come on sleepyhead, first day of school.” Eve makes her way to the door frame before looking back at him.

“It’s gonna be a good day, right?” Dakota is sat up in bed, legs over the side.

Eve looks at her son. He was far too intuitive and bright for his age. And sometimes it got him in trouble. Last year was a mess as he started to act up more at school, seeing Niko and her arguing frequently likely causing this change. Eve worried for a while that he resented her for the divorce. Being adopted and then watching a divorce happen within 9 years could only be frustrating, she was sure of it.

And it was never the plan. Divorcing, that is. Her and Niko had always joked about having a kid back in their 30s, but Eve had been at the prime of her career. Art gallery after art gallery, traveling the world, becoming one of the most notable artists of the decade. Adoption came up when they realised that they wanted to finally have someone to drive them crazy and love endlessly.

The divorce wasn’t messy, but it stung. Eve was emotionally spent, trying to make things work when things began to fall apart for them. Niko at least insisted that she keep the apartment. It was far too spacious for one person, and truthfully it had more of Eve’s belongings in it than Niko’s. And Niko’s love for Dakota hadn’t changed, he would never let that happen. So weekends were for Dakota.

He was adopted at the age of 3. The young Korean boy had the biggest eyes, and they made Eve and Niko fall in love with him. The dimples that sprouted from his cheeks only made their hearts flutter when they first met him.

Eve looked over his face, it was filled with worry and his dimples had disappeared again. She gives him her most genuine grin. “It’s going to be a great day, bubs.”

She sees the relief wash over him just before she leaves the room. She heads back to the kitchen and makes sure they both have their lunches squared away. Her phone vibrates on the counter and she reaches over with a granola bar in her mouth. Looking at who is calling, she snorts.

Chewing as quickly as she can so she can speak clearly, she answers. “Please tell me you are going to have coffee waiting for me at the office, Bill.”

Bill scoffs underneath his chuckle. “Well good morning to you, running late I assume?”

Dakota comes into the kitchen with his backpack, pointing at his watch on his wrist. Eve nods and points to her phone. She grabs her keys off of the counter.

“Just a little, but I would love you dearly if you could get me some caffeine and have something for this headache on my desk within the hour.”

**Villanelle. 7:45am**

_I left my bag and it has things I need for class, fancy dropping it off?_

Along with the text came a picture Villanelle was only grateful for. Lauren, a secondary school teacher, was not necessarily her type, but she was a great flirt at the bar the night before. She was confident and hit on Villanelle as soon as she sat down next to her. She could make the exception. Sex was just sex. And she needed some way to let out her frustrations of long days and even longer court proceedings.

Lauren was much shorter than Villanelle, towering over her and lifting her up easily once they made it back to Villanelle’s flat. It had been a fun night that ended a little awkwardly as Lauren was sent off in a rush by Villanelle; she wasn’t into pillow talk. She wanted to get that person off, get herself off and then be alone for the rest of the night. She enjoyed her time to herself more than anything else.

It’s mid July in London, forcing Villanelle to wear her lighter suits. She opts for a light blue suit, a very loose fitting blouse underneath, unbuttoned to dip into her cleavage just enough.

Villanelle shoots off a text to Konstantin to let him know that she would be a few minutes late to their meeting. They needed to go over a few details of a new clients case. It was nothing unique, but it was a far cry from the usual cases they would get at Nelle&Ko. Cases ranging from serious offenses to minor misunderstandings. Just yesterday she had to deal with making sure a client got the sex swing in a heated roommate battle.

With her tea, phone, glasses in one hand, Villanelle grabs her briefcase filled with her files for the day ahead. She plugs in the school's address that Lauren works at into the navigation of her car. It’s an easy drive, and thankfully not too far out of the way of the firm.

When she pulls up, she tries not to make faces at all of the kids rushing into the building. She dealt with kids sometimes, but she wasn’t the most affectionate. They were like tiny versions of adults, but with more snot and more candy. She could understand the candy though. She parks her Aston Martin in a spot that’s as far away as possible to prevent someone even deciding to park next to her.

She slips into the school, grinning to herself as some kids make remarks on her car. To her delight, Lauren’s classroom is empty. She scares the blonde when she knocks on her open door, holding up the bag.

“Oh, my heart is racing. Thank you.” Lauren is blushing harder than someone who has been caught doing something naughty.

“The least I could do.” Villanelle’s devilish grin flashes as she works her charm on the woman before her. The desire practically radiating off of Lauren was evident as she slides closer to Villanelle like a moth to a flame. Villanelle loved teasing, especially when she had no intention of following through.

Villanelle leaves a kiss on her cheek, telling her that she would talk to her soon. Though this was a lie. She definitely had no intention of calling her. And not because Lauren wasn’t…. fun. She just never double dipped. She wasn’t the dating type and she wasn’t going to start anytime soon.

The last bit of kids are streaming in, as a young boy with a shirt that says ‘Rad’ nearly runs into her, looking like he was in the biggest hurry of his life. She takes a second to sip her tea as she settles into her car. She sees that Konstantin has left her a few voicemails and figures she’ll just find out what he has to say once she steps into the office.

She’s backing out of the parking spot just as she hears her phone ping. She picks it up to see a grumpy face emoji sent from Konstantin. She’s in the process of sending an emoji back when her car stops. She hears a metallic sound and she’s jolted forward slightly. Someone had hit her goddamn car.

Villanelle swings out of the car immediately, waiting at the end of hers to see what idiot had hit her. She looks between the raggedy car that had hit hers, noticing the marks left on her bumper, along with the noticeable dent that had the bumper looking lopsided and scoffs. This person didn’t know the kind of storm waiting for them.

A messy bun comes out of the other car, swearing. Well it was a good thing that this person was remorseful.

“What the actual fuck is wrong with you? I was honking at you.” A woman is standing before her, clearly not remorseful.

Villanelle is in disbelief that the initial cursing wasn’t actual regret, but anger with Villanelle. Who did she think she was? Villanelle looks the woman up and down and can only laugh.

“Why are you laughing? You hit my car!” She’s livid now, making Villanelle furrow her brows.

“No, you hit my car and have the audacity to be wearing that.” Villanelle points towards the paint splattered overalls this woman was wearing.

“Oh that’s so funny, Miss High Ponytail. Give me your information and go.”

Villanelle reaches into her jacket pocket and produces a card. “I can’t wait to hear from you.”

“Of course, you are a lawyer. Asshole.” The woman shakes her head as she gets back into her car and drives away.

Villanelle smooths out her ponytail before getting back into her car. If this was how her day was starting, she would be on a roll for the rest of the day. She was going to be on a warpath.


	2. Apologies don't work without caffeine

**Same Day**

**Villanelle 8:47am**

She wasn’t irritated. I mean yes, the back of her car didn’t look the same as it did when she left the house for the day, the woman who did it was extremely rude, but at least she still had her tea. 

She’s rushing into the firm, headed straight to her office. She wanted to make the most of the rest of her day, and that included getting into as many arguments with defense attorney’s as she could. And hopefully none of them were wearing tacky, paint smeared, probably older than 10 years old with-

Villanelle is lost in her thoughts as she rounds the corner, running into Elena. “Fuck.”

They both held now spilled tea in their hands, Elena’s face shocked where Villanelle was completely blank. 

“I’m so sorry V, let me get you some paper towels from the break room.” Elena tries to offer, but all Villanelle can do is put up a hand. 

“This is my second collision today, and you are very lucky that I like you.” Villanelle pinches the bridge of her nose. 

“So please, just… if you would like to keep a limb today… go, run.” Elena nods furiously, going in the opposite direction. 

Villanelle releases the longest sigh in history, she thinks. She throws her cup in the trash. The rest of the journey she makes to her office, with no one making an effort to speak to her. The look on her face was one they knew all too well, it meant danger. She's thankful that her office space is big enough that she can have clothes there. She opens up the small closet, revealing some simple, but stated, pieces of clothing that come in handy. 

She removes her jacket, huffing as she looks at the tea stains on it. She’s unbuttoning her blouse when there’s a knock on the door. “One moment!”

Another knock comes, heavier. “I said one-” Before she could say anymore, Konstantin comes in, face red. “Do you understand that you’ve had us all waiting for y-”

His hands immediately find his face as he realizes that Villanelle is changing. “Just uh-just hurry up.” 

“You know, when someone says one moment, they mean one moment.” She pulls her arms through a grey button up. It would have to do for now. He sucks his teeth at her before leaving her office. 

A few minutes later, after unsuccessfully trying to dab at the stains on her suit jacket, she’s in the meeting room. She’s all smiles when she greets her new client. He’s sporting a cheeky smile, hair swooped to one side. Well tailored suit. Villanelle notices his shoes and quirks her eyebrow just slightly. A man of taste. 

Until he opens his mouth. 

“Well I didn’t think you’d look like this after our conversation on the phone, I was half expecting a middle aged Russian woman.” He chuckles and looks at Konstantin to join in. 

Konstantin averts his gaze quickly. Villanelle’s eyes narrow and her smile is gone. “Mr. Turner, I’m very good at my job. Think of me like your best friend. Your very intelligent, irritated, and can find more than one way to land someone in trouble, best friend.” She looks at him pointedly. The room is quiet enough that she can hear him gulp. He says nothing more, opting to just slide into a chair just beside where she’s stood. 

Villanelle’s headache only seems to grow as she goes through his case file with Konstantin. He was suing his ex boyfriend for property damages. 

“He scratched up my car, he managed to take down the one painting of myself that I actually liked. You know it shows my good side. Which really is all of me.” He winks at her. 

She was seconds from punching this man in the nose. “Mr. Turner, let's focus on the notes.”

“Please, call me Hugo. All of the people who like me do.”

Konstantin clears his throat. Villanelle feels her head throb as she gets up, pressing on the speaker box beside the door to the meeting room. 

“Elena, I know you usually have some extra tea at your desk, can you bring me a cup into room 4?” Villanelle rubs her temples. 

“Yeah give me a second.” 

Villanelle sits back down opposite Hugo and just stares at him. Minutes pass before he says anything. “So are we done here? What’s the next step, love?” He seems to not notice the cloud of irritation anymore, or he just chooses to ignore it. 

“I think it would be best if we schedule another day, we’ve got all of the information we need from you. I’m sure we will be hearing from your boyfriend’s lawyer in the coming days. If you have any more evidence outside of the pictures we have on file, then please. Call Konstantin.” 

She stands now, extending her arm to the door. Hugo smiles wide as he follows her out. 

“Hey, here’s your tea. I’m sorry about earlier.” Elena rushes in, handing Villanelle the tea. 

“Thank you, Elena. Meet our latest client, Hugo. Hugo, this is my lovely assistant.” They both shake hands. Hugo gives Elena a once over. 

“I just don’t know how you do it man, all of these beautiful women in one place.” Hugo turns to Konstantin who is standing behind them in the doorway. 

“I’m happily married.” Konstantin offers. 

“Phew, the dedication. I guess more fun for me then huh?” Hugo winks at Elena, who has now donned a look of confusion and slight disgust. 

“Let me see you out, Hugo. I look forward to working with you and making sure you are well treated here.” Villanelle escorts him down the hall, Elena just beside her. 

“Trip me.” Villanelle says low enough for only Elena to hear. 

“What?” Elena panics. 

“Just do it.” Elena awkwardly holds out her leg. Villanelle makes a show of it, stumbling forward and making sure that she yells out. She lets go of the cup, holding her tea. Thankfully she knew it wasn’t scolding hot as it flies and spills over Hugo’s back. 

He turns around in shock. “I am so sorry, I should have been watching where I was going.”

Villanelle is nothing but the best actress right now, putting on her best pout. He scoffs, but he seems to be unphased. 

“This is like the start of one of my favourite porno videos.”

He accepts the paper towels Elena hands him, tells Villanelle that he’s excited to see her again and leaves the building. 

“He’s not going to go away is he?” Elena looks at a still very irritated Villanelle. She’s still staring out of the door Hugo just left. 

“Nope, he probably isn’t. I need something to look forward to. My day has started like shit.” Villanelle is looking at her now. 

Elena was probably one of the few people she could trust. They had gone to university together, meeting in class they shared. Elena was the TA for their criminal justice course. At first, Elena couldn’t stand Villanelle. She was arrogant and always hardheaded. But as they got closer, Villanelle revealed all of her soft spots. They shared many heartbreaks, drinks, and laughs. Even sharing stern looks from Konstantin. 

“Villanelle, my office.” Konstantin’s voice booms down the hallway. 

“Drinks on me tonight?” Elena gives Villanelle a thumbs up. 

“I’ll need a drink after whatever Konstantin wants to chew me out for.” Villanelle rolls her eyes. 

“Gotta love uncles right?” 

“Not the annoying ones.” 

She had many other things to do today, and now she was going to get chewed out. Elena had no idea the kind of night they were going to have. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gasp, I'm actually on schedule? I was almost late, but here I am! For those wondering where Eve is this chapter, she will be having some fun next chapter. Don't worry! It's gonna be worth it... and there might be a fight next chapter. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Chy  
> xx


	3. I hate whiskey pt i

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm two weeks late, I know. But depression? Yeah. ANYWAYS enough of the pity party, here's two chapters back to back(posting part two later today so I can sleep) for your patience. Any errors are mine because I had a hard time concentrating the last few weeks. Kudos and comments are always, always appreciated. 
> 
> Chyna  
> xx

**Same Day**

**Eve. 1:45pm**

Just a few more hours, and she was free for the day. It was all Eve could think about as she did her best to concentrate on the group of painters in front of her. Truth be told, her mind had been everywhere but inside the practice. The office was busy today. She had a few people left now, this being her last group of painters for the day. 

“Now let’s go around the room. We want to express our interpretations of our word for today. I gave you the word hate. I loved the art we created last week with grief.”

Eve slides a stray curl behind her ear as she goes one by one, commenting on every client's painting. 

“I love the strokes here, they seem quick and harsh.”

“When you look at this now, do you feel that anger again?”

“Do you sense that something is unfinished in your life?”

“Yeah, let’s talk after the session ends and we can set up a one on one for this.”

“Eve, call.” Hugo calls out from the doorway. 

“Tell them I’m almost done with my group session.” Eve heads back to her easel. 

“It’s from the school.” Hugo offers a sympathetic look. Eve sighs, preparing her mind now for anything. 

She excuses herself from the room, sliding into Hugo’s small office. Hugo was annoying at times, arrogant, and far too flirty. But he was consistent, smart, and loyal. He was kind when he needed to be. And his work was brilliant. So after he had finished his studies, Eve offered him a job. And most assistant jobs sound consuming and monotonous, but with Eve at Easel of Ease it felt like the perfect fit. Though he would never admit it, and not that he needed to because Eve already knew, he was grateful for Eve. 

Eve slides her glasses to the top of her head before clicking the waiting line blinking on Hugo’s phone. He closes the door before sliding in the armchair beside it. Eve is sitting on the corner of his desk, waiting for the line to connect again. 

“Hello yes, this is Dakota’s mom.” Eve bites her lip, nervous. 

“Ahh yes, thank you, Ms. Park. It seems that Dakota got into an altercation today. We need you to come in.” Mrs. Bloom says, caution evident in her tone. 

“Can you tell me what started it?” Eve’s other hand begins to fiddle with the necklace on her neck. 

“I… I think it would be best if you just came in ma’am.” 

“Okay, then I’ll be there soon.”

Eve puts the phone down, turning to a waiting Hugo. 

“Drinks on me tonight?” He offers. 

“Oh, you bet. I’ll tell you how everything goes.”

Eve is out of the office in a hurry. She knows she’s free of any other clients for the day and if anything came up, there would be someone to handle it. Truth be told, years ago she couldn’t have done this. But thankfully she had Bill and Hugo to support her. And the past year had proved to Eve that depending on people sometimes was okay. 

She had known Bill for the last 10 years, having met him at an art gallery she was invited to. They instantly clicked. Making fun of some of the most pretentious people in the building brought them together. If she could call anyone her best friend, it would be him. She had spent countless moments at his house, getting absolutely wasted on wine that was always meant for special occasions. Bill's wife, Keiko, never seemed to mind and even opted to join them to make sure Eve never decided to set any of Niko’s things on fire during the divorce. 

And at first, Bill was not a fan of Hugo, though commenting that he had an eye for trends and in seeing through facades. But the two grew to love each other, much more than they would ever say out loud. Always getting on each other’s nerves, but they were all a tight knit office. 

Eve rubs her face as she sits in the school’s parking lot. She had spent too much time here already today. She looks down at her overalls, a hollow laugh escaping her. Well at least no one was going to hit her car and insult her digs. 

The cool air of the school hits her as she swings open the door. The hum of voices leads her to the office, where she sees Niko sitting with Dakota. 

“Ahh yes, Ms. Park, thank you for joining us on such late notice. Mrs. Callum is waiting for you all, just in there.” The front desk receptionist, Mrs. Bloom, guides them to the door, opening it to reveal an older woman Eve had met briefly before in orientation the week before. 

“Thank you, Patricia. Everyone have a seat please.” Mrs. Callum stands, waiting for everyone to sit. 

“I welcome you both to what I believe will be the first and last meeting we will have for young, bright Dakota. As the head of this school, I make it my duty to see that every student here is comfortable so that they can focus on what truly matters, their education.”

Mrs. Callum pauses, looking pointedly between Niko and Eve, before settling on Dakota. 

“Do you want to tell them what happened?” Mrs. Callum pushes the horned glasses she dons back up her nose. 

“I did nothing wrong.” Dakota whispers. 

Mrs. Callum looks taken aback. 

“Dakota, honey.” Eve tries to counter. 

“Mom, seriously I did nothing wrong.”

“Now, young man, I am sure that they let you act however you wanted at your old school, but at Silver Twine we do not tolerate such behavior.” Mrs. Callum points a finger at Dakota and it makes even Eve feel small. 

“Well if he won’t tell you, then I will. He punched a fellow student in the throat.”

Niko turns completely towards Dakota, who is in the middle of them both. 

“Oh, Dakota please.”

“He called mom a d word. He called her the d word and then pulled my hair. He said I might as well be one too because of my hair.” Dakota crosses his arms, not meeting any of the eyes on him. 

Eve is the first to speak up now, feeling the heat rise to her ears but never misses a beat. “Will there also be disciplinary action for the other boy?”

Mrs. Callum looks confused for a second. “Why of course. He will be sitting in detention for the next few days.”

Niko shakes his head. “I’m sorry and what sort of discipline is Dakota getting?”

“After careful thought, I think it would be best if Dakota stays at home for a day, and then spends the following days in detention as well.”

“Bollocks.”

“Excuse me, Ms. Park?” Mrs. Callum is sat up straight in her chair now. 

“Eve, don’t.” Niko tries to warn. 

“No, you are giving my son a day off? For not tolerating homophobia? He didn’t even start the altercation. What kind of example are you setting here?” Eve’s on edge now, looking at Niko for support but finding Niko lowering his head. A shame. 

“We do not tolerate that sort of behavior, but we take violence very seriously. I’m sure you all can understand that.”

“Yes, we do. Thank you for calling us up here.” Niko finishes up the far too heated conversation.They collect the disciplinary paperwork and head out. As they leave the room, Niko is thankfully standing between Eve and the door. Eve tries to shoot Mrs. Callum a finger, but Niko swats her hand down.

“Stop, listen I know that she was awful but-” 

“No, Niko, no there is no but to this. Dakota defended himself and is being punished. Honey, you did the right thing okay?” Eve adjusts Dakota’s backpack straps on his shoulders as they are walking out of the building. 

“This is the first day, and I hope that things warm up here. Dakota deserves a good school, this is a good school. He can handle a few bullies.” Niko shrugs his shoulders. 

“You weren’t there… Dakota, do you want to stay at dad’s tonight?” Eve turns back around to her son. Whenever something happened, she always tried to give him the choice. She was always fair. 

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Dakota shrugs. One of the things he got from Niko. 

“Get in the car, bub.” Niko tells him. 

They both wait until they see Dakota get into Niko’s car. Eve takes a deep breath. 

“You weren’t there when I got the call. That he was crying, in the restroom, thinking he had done something wrong when he found out we were getting divorced. That some of his classmates were… were calling him names for having long hair.” Eve’s voice cracks at the end. 

It had been hard when Niko took some time off, having decided on a vacation after the divorce. He had missed some of the hardest weeks for Dakota. 

“I know, I know I did but you don’t get to hold that over my head. I’m trying to make up for it now. I’m not perfect, Eve.” 

“This isn’t about being perfect. This is about being good to him. This is about loving him. I don’t care about your personal life, but when it comes to him? He deserves the world.” Eve points to the sky. 

“You are right, yeah.” Niko kicks at the sidewalk, keys in a grip. 

“I don’t want an apology. I got enough of those from you. But he needs one. He needs your support. He needs to see his dad actually sticking up for him and being on his side.” Eve moves in front of Niko, trying to make him look at her. 

Niko meets her eyes now. They were duller, somehow. Certainly missing the warmth they used to have when they met her own years ago. 

“I’m going to take him for some lunch, talk to him. We will see you tomorrow afternoon, do you wanna meet at mine or yours?”

“I’ll come by and get him.” Eve drags a hand through her hair towards her bun. She walks with Niko to his car. She taps on the back window. “Open up, mister.”

Dakota lowers the window down slowly, a smile on his face. “I’m sorry ma’am, my mom told me to not talk to strangers.”

“She’s a smart woman. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Dakota’s dimple fades slightly with his smile. He nods. Eve leans over and kisses his forehead. She whispers just so he can hear, “Your hair is yours and it is wonderful, you are wonderful. I love you.”

“I love you too, mom.”

It’s not until Eve is back in her car, and she sees Niko pull out of the parking lot that she slaps and hits her steering wheel repeatedly. “Fuck!”

She composes herself, breathing hard. She pulls out her phone and calls Hugo. 

“Why do you sound like you’ve been shagging in your backseat?”

“I wish, ha. I hope you know that you will be buying several drinks tonight.”

“Several drinks? Ex husband must have been there.” Hugo has made it a habit to never call Niko by name. 

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell you what happened.”


	4. I hate whiskey pt ii

**Same Day**

**Eve. 9:50pm**

Eve had on a red romper that showed more legs than she had in years and black sandals that showed off her newly painted nails. Her hair was down, curls tamed for now. Once she had gone back to the office, finishing up any last details for the day, she was shooed away by Hugo who kept badgering her to go lay down somewhere. 

Bill agreed to it as well, insisting that she needs to take more time off anyways. They had both seen her throw herself back into work once the divorce had ended, never really processing what happened or that she could actually relax once in a while. 

Eve never budged on things, but today was different. She was going to have fun at this bar with Hugo. She needed it. 

When she makes it to the bar, having opted to get a taxi there, she sees Hugo already charming one of the bartenders. 

“I can’t leave you alone for a few hours to not get in trouble?” Eve takes a seat next to him.

He offers her a cheeky grin before sliding a drink in front of her. “I don’t know what you mean. I was only making small talk waiting for the lady of the hour.”

Hugo looks her up and down finally, whistling in approval. “Look. At. Those. Thighs.” 

Eve playfully pushes his arm before picking up her drink and taking a sip. “Jesus, what is this?”

She wipes her mouth as Hugo sips his own. “God this is more juice than alcohol, no wonder you fuck like a rabbit. You drink nothing but sugar and a splash of alcohol.”

“Which is what you will be doing tonight babes.” Hugo’s eyebrows dance along with his own shoulder shimmy. 

“Oh please, no one is trying to do anything tonight  _ babes.  _ I’m just trying to have a few drinks after a long day.” 

Hugo’s face becomes neutral, looking at Eve straight on now. “What happened at the school?”

“Some little shit told Dakota that I was the d word, made fun of his hai-” Hugo holds up his hand. 

“The d word?”

“Rhymes with bike.”

Realisation crosses his face immediately. 

“Oh. Ohhh, okay continue about the little shit.”

“He made fun of his hair and then Dakota punched him in the throat. Now he is staying home tomorrow and spending the rest of the week in detention.” Eve takes a long sip from the fruity concoction in front of her. She’d have the pain killers ready for herself on her nightstand in the morning. 

“That’s a load of shit. I mean good on Dakota, hope he got that one, two punch from me.”

Eve laughs. “You’ve never been in a fight in your life.”

“I think in another life, I kick ass thank you very much.”

“So anyways, Niko was there and not very much help.”

Hugo rolls his eyes. “When has that man ever helped? Isn’t he still with that girlfriend of his? The one with the-” Hugo makes a motion to his chest. 

“God yes, but I haven’t seen her in a while. Dakota is at Niko’s tonight and I just, I dunno Hugo. I hope that he takes the time to listen to him. I can only do so much on my end.” Eve tucks her hair behind one ear. 

“Well, tonight it’s you and me, some shit karaoke and some lovely drinks.” Hugo hooks his arm around Eve’s waist. 

“I don’t know about lovely drinks.”

Time seems to blur as the fruity drinks keep coming and Hugo is on his 4th song at the karaoke machine. He’s singing Wild Thing by The Troggs, Eve standing at the front of the stage cheering him on, flailing her arms above her head and hips swaying. 

They are all giggles when they come back to their barstools occupied. 

“Hey, you are in my seat.” Eve blinks in confusion. She figured this blonde woman didn’t see her purse that was sitting in front of her. 

The woman turns around and Eve feels herself sober up almost immediately. 

“You?”

“You?”

It’s the woman from this morning, the one who hit her car. 

Eve rolls her eyes. “I was sitting here, my bag is right there.”

She points to it, expecting the woman to get up. 

“Your name isn’t signed here, there are other places to sit.”

“Vill-” The woman behind the blonde tries to chirp in. 

“No, tell your girlfriend that she can’t just hit my car and then expect to get everything else she wants.”

“She’s not my girlfriend and more importantly  _ you  _ hit  _ my  _ car.” The blonde counters, eyes staring daggers at Eve. 

“Waaait, I know you two.” Hugo finally moves his way closer to the argument, finger waving at the two women in their seats. 

“Oh for fucks sake.” The blonde groans. 

“Eve, this is my lawyer, Villanelle Astankova. She’s going to help me sue James.” Hugo is attempting to high five Villanelle, but is shot down with a look that could kill. 

“And she’s also the woman who hit my car this morning.” Eve hasn’t moved her eyes from Villanelle. She was wearing a different shirt than she had remembered, and somehow it made Eve even more irritated. Who just changes shirts in the middle of the day?

“No way? Look at the universe just bringing us full circle ladies.” Hugo seems to be the only one trying to lighten the mood, until the woman behind Villanelle leans over the bar. 

“Drinks anyone? I love a good whiskey.” She offers. 

Eve and Villanelle answer at the same time. “I hate whiskey.” A long string of silence starts after this, both of them looking at each other with clear annoyance. 

“I’m Elena by the way, the not girlfriend and sort of bestfriend to grumpy over here.” Elena tries to break up the tension. 

Eve and Villanelle are stuck in a staring match. Eve looks the woman up and down, hoping she can send messages through her mind. What an asshole. 

“Are you eye fucking or something?” Hugo looks at them curiously. “There’s far too much sexual tension here and I don’t know if I should be concerned or not.”

This breaks the eye contact and Eve shakes her head. “There’s no way in hell I would be caught in bed with this asshole.”

Villanelle laughs, hand on her stomach. “Elena, I didn’t know the bar had a comedy night. You’d think someone who fucked up my car would be nicer.”

They were standing a good foot apart, but the air was getting thicker and thicker. “Shots? Hugo?” Elena shouts. 

“God, yes please. I might need something stronger if these two are at it all night.” 

“No, Hugo it’s fine. Do your shots. I’m just gonna step outside and have a smoke. Might need the fresh air with the company in here.” Eve grabs her purse, quite dramatically, almost hitting Villanelle in the face with it. 

She stands outside, against the brick wall of the bar. She takes out the last cigarette in her carton, sliding it between her lips before lighting it. The chill in the air is making her sober up, which she might need if she decides to stay at the bar with the clowns inside. She checks her phone, finding a picture from Niko. Dakota was laying on the couch, passed out with his mouth open. 

_ He’s feeling much better. Thank u for the kick in the arse.  _

Well the night wasn’t completely lost. At least Niko was trying to pull it together. And truth be told, Niko wasn’t the worst. She had grown to appreciate the way he balanced her out during their years together. But he certainly missed the opportunities of backing her up when she needed most, today being no different. 

Which is where their marriage failed. Or one of the ways it failed. Eve had been the only woman he had ever dated before meeting her. For Eve, he had been only a one night stand until she was taken on a date to the library by him. 

She didn’t take his shit though, finding no excuses for his behaviour at times. She knew far more than he thought she did. She had always known something was going on between him and Gemma before the divorce, but for the sake of Dakota… she said nothing about it. And Niko knew that, or at least that’s what Eve hoped. 

She finishes her cigarette, crushing it against the metal trash can before flicking it inside. She sees the seats empty and looks around for any sign of Hugo. When she can’t find him, she heads to the restroom to freshen up. 

She’s tying her hair up into a bun, when she hears the sound of a thud against one of the stall doors. 

“Ssh stop it.” Comes from the further stall. 

“Hello?” Eve turns around, leaning forward to see any feet. Clothes ruffle for a good minute before Elena steps out of the stall. 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Eve says earnestly. 

Elena waves her hand. “No, it’s okay. Just a few too many shots I think.” The younger woman leans against the restroom door. 

“So if I told you that your assistant was in the stall, how upset would you be?” 

Before Eve can say anything, she sees Hugo slowly coming from behind the stall door. 

“Seriously?” 

“You know, I expected these to be nicer, but it’s still cleaner than ours. The soap smells nicer in here though.” Hugo rambles, but stops when he notices Eve has her hands on top of her head. 

“I need another shot, let’s go.” Eve insists. 

“Yes! And then you are going to let me help you get laid.” Hugo is an enthusiastic drunk at this point. 

At first, the thought of even trying to flirt with anyone was absurd to Eve, but as the night went on Hugo left her to flirt with Elena. Who evidently didn’t like the man at first. Which made sense, he was a lot to handle. And seeing them in the booth, like school kids sharing secrets, did make Eve miss having someone to just have pillowtalk with.

Thankfully there is no sign of the lawyer when Eve gets up on the stage to perform her last song of the night. She opts for Say You’ll Be There by Spice Girls, feeling confident in her tipsy state when she hears a couple of woo’s. 

She’s nearing the end of her song when she sees a man, clearly far more drunk than she is, come towards the stage. 

“Show your tits sweetheart!” He slurs out. Eve tries to ignore him, but he only gets louder. 

“Come on! Show us your tits!” It’s then that Hugo comes up, Eve now done singing and going down the stairs next to the stage. 

“Hey, I think it’s best that you leave mate.” Hugo tries to gently nudge him away. 

“I get that you are drunk, but you don’t say that to people.” Eve has her arms down by her sides, she’s ready for a fight. But that might just be the alcohol and sugar making her think that. 

“I could show you a better time than your twink boyfriend over here, that’s for sure.” The man laughs, and then burps. 

“You are disgusting, and you should definitely leave.” Hugo has a firmer grip on his shoulder. 

And then things happen far too fast for Eve to process. Elena had moved over to them now, also telling the drunken guy to leave. He reaches for Elena, grabbing her arm far too aggressively and that’s when Eve starts to see red. 

She pushes him with all of her forward momentum, but hardly budges. He’s got plenty of weight on her. That’s when she sees a flash of blonde out of nowhere, as Eve tries to connect a fist to his face. The sound of a slap rings throughout the bar, everyone there watching the fight take place. 

“Don’t you fucking touch her.” Villanelle can be heard through the commotion. It’s when Villanelle winds back for another hit that her elbow connects with Eve’s face. 

Eve goes down and Hugo is immediately at her side. “Oh my god, Eve.” 

One of the bartenders hops over, telling the drunken man to leave before anything else can happen. 

She manages to sit up, holding her face. “Can we get some ice?” Hugo shouts. 

“You good babes?” He moves her hand away from her cheek, assessing the damage. 

“I’m gonna have a mighty bruise. I don’t know how I’m gonna explain this to people.” Eve huffs. 

“Concealer? Shades?” Hugo suggests, taking the cold rag filled with ice from Elena. 

Eve almost forgets who is the cause of this throbbing, but then the demon herself walks up. Hopefully an apology is now in order. 

“You really shouldn’t get into fights with men almost three times your size. That was insanely stupid of you.” She was wrong. 

Eve stands now, Hugo holding her elbow. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you don’t have to be a cunt to make a proper apology?” 

“I was defending my friend, it was handled.”

“Are you delusional? First you think I hit your car when you were the one on your phone and now here you are at the bar, causing even more trouble. I knew that ponytail of yours was a little too tight.” Eve tries to get in her face but Hugo pulls her back. 

“Hey, hey. Ladies let's just call it a night. We’ve had plenty of excitement for one night.” 

“Agreed, Vil, come on. Hugo, you have my uh.. My number.” Elena gives him a smile and Eve sees Hugo visibly blush for the first time ever. 

Both pairs are walking out of the bar, standing on the edge of the street hailing for rides. Eve thinks the one pulling up has noticed her, but instead it pulls up to Villanelle and Elena. 

“Oh what a cunt.” Eve says out loud, not regretting that it was only meant to be said in her head. 

Villanelle flips her a finger without looking at the older woman, letting Elena get in first before turning to Eve. 

“If you are going to call me a cunt, at least put hot in front of it first.” 

Once Eve and Hugo are in their own car, Eve turns to Hugo confused. 

“What did that even mean?” 

“Oh for fucks sake.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oop. Well, I'll see you guys Thursday! 
> 
> Chyna   
> xx


	5. Toilet paper! Toilit paper! Toilét paper!

**Weeks later**

**Eve. 10:34am**

The next few weeks seemed to go by without a hitch. She got her car fixed, with the help of a place that owed Hugo a favor. Eve didn’t ask what exactly happened to get a favor this big, but she was thankful nonetheless for the added shine to her old faithful. Work was running smoothly and she felt like she was finally in a place to focus more on her unfinished pieces still sitting in her office at home. 

Truth be told, she missed working on her own art. And though she never said much of it, she knew that Dakota missed her doing it as well. There had been nights in the past where she would get out of bed, not being able to sleep and just find herself in the office. And somehow, every time, Dakota would wake up minutes later and sit in the armchair or just in front of it. 

He never said anything when he was in there while she painted, but he would offer a smile if she turned and looked at him. And when his eyes got low, and sleepy again, she would pick him up. His chin always on her shoulder as she felt his jaw move. “Your art is beautiful mom.” And those would be the last words he said before being put back to bed. 

She doesn’t remember her dream much, but a very distinct image of Niko as a fly pops in her head, making her chuckle. She checks her phone, seeing a few emails. It was the usual. Work, work, inquiries about old pieces, work, Hugo with astrology charts. She rolls her eyes at the latter. 

She lays on her back now, stretching out with a groan, feeling her tank top reveal her stomach underneath the covers. This also makes her notice how hard her nipples are, poking through her shirt. Her hand brushes against the left nipple, biting her lip with the brief contact. She clams up immediately though, noticing the silence in the house. 

She feels embarrassed when she remembers that Dakota is at Niko’s for the weekend. It was probably the first Saturday in months that she slept in. She sighs as her hand connects with her nipple again, a breathy moan escaping her lips as her thumb strokes it slowly. Her other hand rubs against her stomach before holding onto her side, needing to grab onto something to anchor herself. 

She doesn’t know when the last time she masturbated was. God forbid she even tried to remember when someone else touched her. 

Her thighs rub together, making her throb. She wasn’t going to last long like this. Her hand on her nipple finds its way underneath the fabric, connecting skin to skin. She curses under her breath. The palm of her hand is still cold, sending a wave of pleasure through her that she had missed. She feels herself getting wetter by the second, her other hand now cascading down to her panties. 

When her fingers slide to her clit, she is almost surprised by how soaked she is. She works her clit in small, slow circles. Her hips shift to meet her movements by her hand. She stays like this for a while, knowing that if she moves any faster that she’ll crumble to pieces immediately. Even with this in mind, she can’t resist. She breaks up the rhythm, dipping a finger into herself between every rotation on her clit. She pinches her nipple harder now, feeling with herself clinch around her finger with every stroke. 

It’s when she slides a second finger in that her moans become louder. She instinctively puts a hand to her mouth, but laughs slightly thinking of how ridiculous it is to do with the house to herself. Her hand that was teasing and kneading her breasts have now found its way down to her clit, working on it as she pumps her fingers steadily. 

Her mind wanders as she tries to think of someone else’s fingers stroking her. Her imagination thinks of long, slender but beautiful hands. First around a glass, and then the next image around her throat. And as the hands work their way down her body, spreading her legs, her imagination gives a voice to the person in her mind. 

“What a cunt.” Blonde tresses fall between full lips, a distinct Russian accent comes from them. 

Eve’s eyes open wide, between the sound of her phone ringing and the image she nearly orgasms to, she doesn’t know what startles her more. 

She takes a deep breath, wiping her hand on her sheets. She sees that it’s Niko calling and figures he is just calling with an update on how him and Dakota are doing. 

“I assume you are calling because he’s made art out of your shower curtains?” Eve pokes fun at him. 

“I wish that were the case, but there’s a problem.” 

Eve’s smile disappears. “What happened? Is he okay?” She’s already up, picking up the first pair of pants she can find. 

“Yes, he’s okay, but the police were involved.” 

Eve’s heart drops to her stomach. “I’ll be right over.”

She’s sure she breaks several traffic laws as she makes her way over to Niko’s. 

“So they are pressing charges?” Eve is standing in the kitchen of Niko’s house. Niko brushes down his moustache with his index finger and thumb. 

“Yes, the woman whose house they wrote on and threw cat pee soaked rolls of toilet paper on her house. Her husband pulled up just as they were leaving.” 

Dakota is sitting at the table across from them. He’d been fairly quiet, except for the occasional ‘Yes sir’ and ‘Yes ma’am’ he would throw their way. 

“He usually plays with the boys in the neighborhood and they are fine. I don’t know why this morning was any different.” Niko looks pointedly at Dakota, who meets his eyes head on. 

Eve sits down now, looking at her son with worry. 

“Did they make you do this?” He looks down and then back up at her, his hands by his sides. 

“No, they asked and I said yes. I willingly participated.” Dakota looks nervous. 

“I’m disappointed, we are disappointed. This isn’t… this isn’t like you. Has something been going on Kota?” Niko scratches his face. 

“No…. I mean, maybe?” His head is down again. Eve feels her chest tighten at the sight. She lifts his head up, cupping his chin. 

“We love you, and we don’t want you to make choices that could leave you in trouble. Talk to us, bub.” 

“I think… I’ve been frustrated. With a lot of things.” Dakota’s eyes start to fill with tears, one escaping. Niko nods, urging him to continue. Eve wipes his cheek. 

“I don’t say things because I don’t want to upset anyone. But a lot of things bother me and-” He puts a hand over his face now, more tears falling. Niko and Eve both move closer to rub his back. 

“We are going to do better. We are going to make sure you can feel like you can tell me, dad, or anyone else what’s bothering you. And it doesn’t have to be right now. But we love you. And you know what people do when they love you?” Eve moves his hand from his face before moving a strand of hair behind his ear. 

“We lift them up.” Niko answers for them. 

The conversation ends there for the most part. Dakota lays in his room there at Niko’s and leaves them to talk. 

“When should we expect to hear from someone then?” Eve rubs her face. 

“I expect soon. Mrs. Hilt is a fairly quick woman with feeling like she’s been done wrong. I mean her house is a mess. One of the boys wrote ‘twat’ on her door.” Niko tries to hide a smile. 

“No wonder she wants to press charges. She can’t handle the truth.” They both share a smile, and then a chuckle. 

“I mean they are kids. They’ll get a slap on the wrist for this. Maybe some community service.” Niko shrugs and waves his hand. 

“Even so, we have to do better for him, Niko. He can’t keep going like this.” 

“I know. I know that. Between this and the fight at school a few weeks ago, it’s only getting worse.” 

Eve shakes her head. She didn’t know how to blur the lines between being a mom and getting to the core of what was going on with her son as a therapist. She didn’t want to analyse him like that. But he needs an outlet, he needs something to express things he had a hard time explaining. 

Her and Niko agree that Niko will drop him off at school on Monday. On Wednesday of the next week, that’s when Eve gets mail as she gets out of the office, saying goodbye to Bill. She flips through her mail bin, before getting to an envelope. 

_ LETTER OF INTENT TO SUE _

  
  


_ Effective Date: 27 July, 2020 _

_ RE: Notice of Intent to File Lawsuit _

_ Dear Ms. Park, _

_ This letter of intent to sue shall serve as a formal notice that Mary Anne Hilt intends to commence a lawsuit against you due to the following: Destruction of the exterior of the front of her house at 9 Station Parade, Brighton Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AD. _

  1. _The Plaintiff: Mary Anne Hilt._



  1. _The Defendant: Eve Park._



_ III. Relief: As a result of your actions, the Plaintiff seeks relief in the form of: Payment in the amount of fifty (£50) which shall be used by the Plaintiff to clean and repair all damage done to the exterior of her home. _

  1. _Settlement Demand: You may cure and/or settle this matter outside of court and avoid a lawsuit by doing the following within 30 days of receiving this Letter of Intent: Paying the total sum of fifty pounds (£50) to the Plaintiff._



  1. _Governing Law: This Letter of Intent shall be governed under the laws of the Greater London county._



_ Sincerely, Mary Anne Hilt _

Oh this woman was out of her mind. 50? Eve immediately calls Niko. She had sent him the same letter as well. He had spoken to other parents of the boys involved, and they had all received it too.

“Why not try to give them a learning lesson? What is the point of this? She’s probably scrubbed the words off of her house and the smell… Well I don’t know about the cat piss, but still.” Eve hears Niko grumble. 

“We will handle this. I don’t know why she’s going through the trouble, but we might as well just get this over with.” Niko sighs on the other end. 

Eve grunts in agreeance. 

The weeks leading up to the very small court appearance to settle everything seemed to drag on, with Dakota having spent most of it in his room doing nothing but reading. Niko is sick the day of, not being able to make it. Dakota puts on his best button up, and Eve wears the only dress she ever bought herself. It’s black and just above her calves. Truth be told, she did feel kind of hot in it, a feeling she hadn’t felt in a very long time. 

And she used that confidence on the car ride there with Dakota. She detailed what would happen, reiterating her love of him. Despite hating that this was even happening, she felt like today was going to be okay. This was nothing but a fresh start. Dakota was going to be okay, she was going to be okay. Hell, even Niko would be okay. 

They are walking now, holding hands into the building when she hears a voice. She looks up at the room number everyone was told to be in, and then down at who is in front of it. 

It was Villanelle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First person to comment what the chapter title is referencing gets my hand in marriage. Also shush, I know nothing about suing and court stuff so please hang in there with me the next few chapters as I dig in. 
> 
> Chyna  
> xx


	6. Wet dreams are just foreshadowing babes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a month? I hope everyone enjoys this despite having waited for so long!

**Villanelle**

She was irritated. Truth be told, she was irritated as soon as she woke up. She had a rough week that now led into an even longer day. Today was going to be a test of her patience. 

Terrance, one of the few lawyers at the firm that didn’t get on her nerves, decided last night that he wanted to get seafood poisoning, leaving her to take his cases. Important parties were notified last minute, signing off on her counsel. The first one of the day was a quick dispute between friends. She’s down the hall of the courthouse, waiting for the next case. A group of kids who had done some property damage. 

Elena gave her a brief explanation on the case, Villanelle skimming over the client’s grievances. A courtroom filled with parents and their kids? This would be less than fun. She scrunches her nose up at the thought of any chaos that she wasn’t in control of.

She looks at her watch before heading down to the room they would all gather in, she still had a good 20 minutes. She leans against the door, smoothing out her black button up. She’s observing everyone coming in and out of the hall, watching other lawyers wring at their hands nervously. She used to be like them. Shoulders heavy with anticipation, the bundle of nerves sitting in the pit of the stomach, bubbling up to the skin. Konstantin taught her that staying relaxed, even in the eye of the public, was necessary to keep up appearances. Which is one of the reasons why she dressed how she did, walked how she did, talked how she did. She was in control at all times. She controlled her own narrative. 

It’s almost as if the universe was tormenting her, as Konstantin comes up, pastry in hand. 

“And I see you don’t have a treat for me.” Villanelle frowns slightly. 

“My treat to you is don’t force love, just like you don’t force farts. You don’t want to shit on yourself.” Konstantin takes another bite, crumbs speckling his mustache. 

“I can see why you have an ex-wife now.” Villanelle shakes her head, biting her bottom lip in annoyance. 

“You know, you use to-” Konstantin’s words become background noise as Villanelle faces down the hall to the glass doors of the courthouse. Something weird happened. 

She looked at her from the bottom to the top. Classic black heels, no longer than 3 inches from the ground. Her calves were strong with every stride, a stride that was made even better with the way the dress hugging her hips. Her curls arranged around her smile, looking down at the boy who held her hand with a strong grasp. She’s beautiful. 

Villanelle is literally snapped from her thoughts by Konstantin’s fingers in her face. 

“Oh for fucks-” Villanelle begins. 

“Language, I said that you should head in now. I’ll see you back in the office.” He’s gone before she can protest. She sighs, hoping that when she turns around that the woman who has brought her far too much annoyance as a stranger is gone. 

She’s wrong. 

Instead of saying anything as she expected Eve would, she was adjusting the boy’s collar. She finishes up, taking his hand again and not offering Villanelle any glance. It surprises Villanelle, almost wanting her to take a jab at her. 

It doesn’t click in her mind that she’s gone into the same room that Villanelle is supposed to be in until she’s next to her client in the small courtroom. She’s uncomfortable, thinking about how many details she noticed out in the hallway. She didn’t like this woman, she couldn’t stand her. She was some artsy fartsy woman who thought the world revolved around her. 

It’s the second time she is snapped from her thoughts, this time by a booming voice. 

Mr. Ludwig was the judge presiding over the meeting. He was a quick man, Villanelle had noticed. This wouldn’t last long. She wouldn’t have to be in this room long with her. She turns toward her client, an older woman who was kind of overreacting, but Villanelle didn’t care. She loves to win. 

She came here to win, not stare at some annoying woman with a bad snot nosed kid. 

Except she was staring. 

“Miss Astankova, we’d like to begin.” Judge Ludwig speaks into the microphone. 

“Right yes,” She clears her throat as she stands. “Mrs. Hilt here is seeking fifty pounds from all 4 boys who were involved in the vandalism of her home. She has been a resident there for 20 years and has never experienced such damage done to her property.” 

She looks back at the older woman, seeing how she’s puffed out her chest and put her nose in the air at the families on the other side. 

“Right, and as I’ve looked through the evidence… I can see why Mrs. Hilt is upset. Have any of you paid the fifty being asked?” He directs the question at the boys sitting in front of their parents. 

The fact that they had opted out of having a lawyer present for this was beyond Villanelle. It would make this all much more satisfying seeing Eve’s face more irritated than it already was. 

Eve stands up, deciding to speak up for the rest of the parents. Villanelle was prepared to tear anything she said to pieces. 

“We think that it’s unnecessary to pay when she’s already had her windows and fixtures outside cleaned.”  _ She looks nervous, good. _ Villanelle doesn’t bother looking back at the judge, but keeps her attention on the older woman. 

“Your honour, I think that even if my client here has put in the hard work of cleaning her own property, she needs to be compensated regardless.”  _ Gotcha.  _

Eve rolls her eyes and takes a step around the table, throwing an annoyed glance at Villanelle. 

“Your honour, we would be teaching the boys here that if they just pay their way out of trouble then they will be okay. She’s cleaned her house, she’s practically fixed any supposed dama-”

Realisation hits Villanelle. Eve was smarter than she gave her credit. “I agree Mrs?”

Eve is thrown off for a second by Villanelle finally addressing her. “Just Miss, Miss Park.”

“Right, I agree with you Miss Park. Which is why I think, your honour, it would be a good decision to have these boys complete community service. They are old enough to know right from wrong, and I’m sure their parents don’t want that to reflect back on them.” Villanelle slides her hand in her pocket, relaxing her shoulders as she watches the way Eve pinches the bridge of her nose. 

“Ms. Astankova, have you cleared this with your client?” Judge Ludwig questions. 

She steps back, whispering into Mrs. Hilt’s ear. “Community service keeps them busy, won’t have to worry about them for a very long time in your yard.”

Mrs. Hilt visibly deflates, but puffs back up again before nodding. 

“Your honour, we think community service is the perfect learning lesson here. These young boys need to see that there are consequences to the crimes they commit.”

“Crimes?” Eve blurts out. 

“Yes crimes, that was clear vandalism.” Mrs. Hilt speaks up for herself now. 

The gavel bangs out. “Enough. Now, I also agree that community service is a great solution here. So I’m declaring that the 4 of you need to complete 30 hours of community service, reporting back every week on the extent of your progress here at the courthouse. Are there any objections to this?” Judge Ludwig was now Villanelle’s best friend. She has to pinch herself from smiling, looking at the irritation of the other side. 

Villanelle was satisfied with herself, leaving the room eventually and seeing Mrs. Hilt out of the courthouse on a high. She does some exaggerated stretching, as if she’s just ran a marathon. 

“Hey, hey!” She hears a voice call from behind her. 

She turns around, seeing a very upset Eve practically storming her way over. 

“Dakota, take the keys, I’ll be there in a second.” She’s standing in front of her now, waiting until the boy is far enough away. 

Villanelle looks at her face fully, in the daylight it’s much different than she remembered since their last encounter at the bar. Smile lines, eyes dark and warm. There’s a single strand of hair that needs to be tucked in behind her ear. 

“I don’t like you. I think you are arrogant, rude. I don’t care if you are some hot shot lawyer, you can still show people respect. You get off on being right, even when you are wrong. I hope, I hope someone knocks you down a few pegs. I don’t get what Elena sees in you. She is lovely from what Hugo tells me.” Eve stops her rant, Villanelle holding back a laugh. 

“You done? Got everything off your chest?” The height difference only makes Villanelle smirk. 

“What is wrong with you? Really?” Eve’s face is disgusted. It upset her more than she wanted to admit.  _ There’s nothing wrong with me. _ The venom seeps into her voice now, smirk gone. 

“What’s wrong with me? How about how annoying you are and I barely know you but we’ve managed to spend more time together than I spend on dates. Stop worrying about people you barely know and worry about your-” Villanelle begins to walk away now, over the quasi confrontation that Eve tried to muster. But before she can finish her sentence she is interrupted. 

“Don’t you dare talk about him. You know nothing about him or me. Fuck off.” 

“Gladly”

Villanelle heads to the restrooms immediately. She’s thankful that no one else is there, needing the moment to herself. She’s not arrogant. She looks in the mirror, giving herself a look over. She’s confident. Yeah, she’s just confident. And she is blunt, honest. And hello? She was always right. She got paid to be right. 

The usual glimmer in her eyes was dull though. Something was bothering her now. And she didn’t like it. She unlocks her phone and clicks a few times, pressing it to her ear and waiting. 

“Yep, what’s up?” Elena must be on break, hearing the sound of crisps being opened. 

“I’m not arrogant am I?” Villanelle is pacing in the restroom now. If anyone walked in, they’d think she had been there for a while. 

“I- Why do you ask?” Elena seems to think carefully about her words. 

Villanelle bites her nails, something she rarely does. “Just you know, I’m more confident than anything right? Not arrogant? And even if I was, that’s not that bad right? Elena?” 

“Elena please, the silence is not helping”

“Okay, okay. Hmmm. I think that sometimes…” 

“Sometimes?” Villanelle’s head feels like it’s spinning. 

“Let me finish. Yes, sometimes mate you are kind of arrogant. But I mean, where is this even coming from?” Elena sounds a bit more concerned now. 

She sighs before answering in a rush, “Just you remember that Eve woman? That Hugo works with? Yeah well we had a run in today because her kid and some others got into trouble. You know I’m working Terrance’s cases today, and I guess her son was one of them and she confronts me outside of the courthouse, like she almost gets in my face and tells me all this shit kind of unprompted? But that’s not important, there’s nothing so bad about being a bit arrogant.” 

She breathes finally, having talked faster than Elena thought possible. 

“Elena?” 

“Villanelle that was a lot. But really? You and Eve ran into each other again? I think this might be fate.” Elena’s smile can be felt through the phone. 

“God no, that’s gross Elena. Fate isn’t real. And that woman is insufferable. She gets on my nerves. I don’t want to be around her.” Villanelle scrunches up her nose at the thought of being in the room with her again, flicking at a hanging piece of paper towel from the dispenser. 

“I don’t know, they say that hate sex is pretty hot. Wet dreams are just foreshadowing babes, something Hugo has told me. I think you are well on your way to having one.” 

“Elena, I’m going to hang up on you. I don’t want to know about the… the canoodling you and Hugo do. And who are they? They sound dumb. I don’t like her, I don’t want to see her. Matter of fact, you and Hugo need to keep your noses out of the building so that I don’t have to see his face and be reminded of her annoying existence.” 

“Well, you are arrogant and I still love you. Even if you are being rude right now.” 

Villanelle’s hand dramatically, but kind of seriously, grasps her chest. “I am not rude!” 

The call with Elena doesn’t help the fuzzy feeling that’s sprouted in her stomach, up to her chest. It only makes it worse. 


	7. Netflix and chill sounds like an excuse to take a nap

**Eve**

“Hey mom?” Dakota sat at the counter next to her, looking up from his tablet. It was his idea that he was allowed to make anything he wanted for breakfast. Cookie Crisp crusted french toast. They had made a mess of the kitchen, Dakota insisted that he clean it up without Eve’s help. 

She was surprised by the tidiness her son had displayed in the last month. He helped out around the house more, he was up for school before she even had to knock on his door. Even at Niko’s, he was far more receptive. And he didn’t seem to mind community service much, having to assist decorating a new community garden and park. 

They’d all go out, Niko bringing Gemma sometimes, to do something together. They made this a habit to help Dakota communicate with them more often. But truth be told, seeing Gemma so often was starting to irritate her. Not because Gemma was irritating, at least not all the time, but because she had never been around Niko and Gemma together this much. 

And Eve was over the marriage, over Niko. She wasn’t jealous of Gemma. She was feeling a little.. lonely. But she would never tell anyone this. Especially not Bill. Because if Bill found out, then she’d have Hugo in her ear in seconds. 

She hadn’t talked to anyone that way in a long time, not since Niko. And she certainly wasn’t having her phone blown up with dates. She wasn’t actively looking for anything either. She was in her 40s, had a preteen, was divorced. Maybe this was just how it was meant to be. Maybe Hugo was right, it was just gonna collect dust.

“Yes?” Eve’s glasses rested on her head, coffee in one hand. She was going to need all the caffeine she could get before this museum trip. Dakota had already been with his dad, but thought that the new exhibit would be fun with Eve as well. 

“Do you think that you’ll get married again?” 

Eve spits out the sip of coffee. She wipes her mouth. 

“Uh I dunno, why?” She’s looking at the young boy, eyes trying to not show alarm. 

“I just.. Ya know dad has talked about how he thinks Gemma is the one and that he wants to marry her. So I never see you with anyone. So who do you fancy?” Dakota takes a bite of his french toast, unphased. 

Eve blinks for a few seconds. That was a lot to process. 

“I don’t think I fancy anyone at the moment, but you will be the first to find out okay bub?” She kisses his head before getting up. 

She slips into her room, closing the door behind her. She rubs the back of her neck as her mind starts to wander. 

It hadn’t bothered her in a very long time. Nearly a year. She had gotten so used to just letting things go, to just roll with the punches. 

But she felt like the wind was knocked from her. 

She knew nothing ever happened when they were together. But it certainly added up that Niko and Gemma were close after the divorce was finalized. They had a quick divorce. That’s how they had always joked it would end up being. It was far too easy, and sometimes Eve thinks she bottled it all up. 

Niko, when they were younger, had called Eve the one. He would tell anyone who listened that she was the one, that he’d get buried right next to her. And usually Niko was a very tame lover, never very passionate, but that was the one thing he was known to do. And it made her feel special. 

But Eve can’t say that she felt the same. Which helps her come down from whatever this reaction was. So what if he got married again..even if it felt so soon. She didn’t love him anymore. 

It still just made her slightly sick. Which made her feel a bit guilty. Gemma wasn’t a bad woman. A bit naive. A little nosy. Sometimes had a very irritating voice. She slides down onto the floor, snorting at the sound of Gemma saying Niko in her head. If that’s what Niko wanted, then so be it. As long as she was kind to Kota, she’d be okay. 

Dakota yells out in the hall that Niko was on his way. Eve takes a deep breath before giving him a shout back. 

“Make sure you brush your hair!”

“You brush your hair!”

He had a good point, she had left it in the same bun for the last two days, having been consumed by her next project in her office. She put down a tarp on a good portion of the floor, as she was throwing paint down at the large canvas. She’d even let Dakota help. 

She lets down her hair, walking to her bathroom and seeing how wild her hair was. It needed a very good brushing. 

She’s only in the shower for a few minutes before she gets out and she starts brushing out all the knots. She feels relieved once she’s done, figuring that it’s best to leave her hair down for the day and let her curls go wild. 

She throws on black jeans and arguably her favorite tank top and flannel combination. She looks down at her chest. Had they gotten bigger? 

The sound of knocks at the front door and then Dakota’s shoes tell her that Niko and Gemma are here. 

“Is everyone ready for a day of learning?” Niko scoops up Dakota, swinging him slightly in the air. 

“Yes! Wait, where’s Gemma?” Eve grabs her bag off of the counter. 

“Oh she is just in the car.” Niko nods in the direction of the door. 

Damn it. 

“Well, if Kota has everything he needs then let’s head out.” 

All Dakota can do is nod several times in excitement, and before Niko can say let’s go, he’s already running out of the door. 

When Eve sees Gemma, she can’t help but feel inadequate. Gemma was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that. And well.. her tits could make anyone stare. Thankfully, Eve sat in the back with Dakota. The first 10 minutes, they made small talk. Until Gemma seemed to read Eve’s mind. 

“So, Eve, you seeing anyone lately?”

Niko coughs, clearly just as thrown off as Eve. 

“No, I am not.” Eve looks down at her phone, hoping Gemma sees that she doesn’t want to have this conversation with her. 

“You know I have a friend you might like. He’s a good guy ya know.” Gemma puts her foot up on the dash. 

“Is that so?” Eve looks up to her phone to see Niko give her an apologetic look in the mirror. 

“Yeah! I could give him your number if you’d like.” 

Eve doesn’t respond back with much more other than a “Hm” to this. She hopes Gemma will catch her drift and leave the rest of the car ride to silence. 

When they make it to the museum, they find that they are early enough that it isn’t crowded. Which pleases both Niko and Dakota, who hate crowds. 

Eve feels like barfing every time Gemma calls Niko a pet name. It’s almost as if every exhibit she hears Niko’s name being called.  _ She sounds like a parrot who heard Niko’s name once.  _ Eve’s eyes might get stuck from how many times she’s rolled them at Gemma. 

The most annoying moment is when she’s talking to Niko, and she feels like he’s about to tell her about what’s going on between him and Gemma, but she calls his name for the 50th time. 

Hours are lost and Dakota begins to slow down. When they are done, they load Dakota back into the car. 

Once everyone is all in, her phone goes off. 

“Oohh Eve has my friend messaged you already?” 

“Uhhh no.” Eve doesn’t meet Gemma’s excitement, so she leaves it at that, letting there be silence in the car ride back. 

She turns her ringer off, seeing that she has multiple messages from Hugo. 

_ me and elena are hosting a party _

_ need help! _

_ ik you see these _

_ you have your read receipts on _

She snorts, not knowing what possibly he would need help for. She figures she’ll wait until Niko drops her off at her house to call Hugo, as this was Dakota’s weekend over at his dad’s.

Once inside, she presses call. 

“You are the party king, you only ever talk about parties, so what could you possibly need help with? Especially from me?” 

“So I lied, it’s a speed dating party. We rented a space at a bar.” Hugo says this very excitedly. She could imagine him smiling from ear to ear. 

“Oh, what do you need me to bring? I’m sure I could head to the store and grab some things.”

“I just need you to bring yourself, Eve.” 

She leans against the corner, marking off dates on the calendar. “Well.. okay, when do you need me? Is there a dress code?” 

“I’ll send you the address 30 minutes before I need you there, starting at 8. And wear something scandalous. Or as scandalous as possible. I know you’ve got some assless overalls somewhere since that’s all you wear. Maybe even overalls with some lace, ya kn-”

“Thanks Hugo! I will see you tonight.” Eve rushes him off the phone, not wanting to be dragged for her style. 

She has a few hours. 

Eve goes to the back of her closet, thankful that it’s a walk-in. She wasn’t plain. She wasn’t boring. She just valued comfort. Truth be told, she just liked her messy oversized shirts and overalls. 

She takes a box off of one of her shelves, thankful that it isn’t cartoonishly dusty. She opens it up, looking for the one item she hasn’t worn in at least a decade. Would it even fit?

It’s a silk, lavender dress. She sends up a quick prayer, though she isn’t the praying type. It was worth a try. 

Eve lifts the dress over her head after taking her bra off and slides her head through before her arms. The dress slides down with her hands, and she’s surprised that it fits, even if it’s a bit snug around the waist. She turns around to the mirror in her closet, admiring herself. 

“I’m kind of hot.” Eve says this in near disbelief. 

She takes the dress off, knowing that the heat of the day and walking around during the afternoon warrants her a good shower. She’s got her foot in the shower, when she gets an idea. There’s a big enough space in her shower to sit in, prop up her leg. 

Eve kneels down next to her bed, pulling out what she called her “Box of Eve”. She takes out her blue dildo, skipping back to the shower in excitement. 

She needed some stress relief if she was going to be dealing with Hugo tonight. Hugo and Elena at the same time. 

In thinking about Elena, Eve can’t help but think about the woman who got under her skin. She was glad they hadn’t had any run-ins any time she took Dakota to the courthouse since the first time. 

And even though she didn’t like her, she could admit that Villanelle always looked good. Her attitude was terrible, but her fashion sense was not. And she smelled great. She’d have to somehow ask Elena what kind of perfume she uses. 

Eve’s thoughts are instantly cleared as she sits against the slab, fingers finding her clit. She tugs and works her clit between two fingers, sighing. She’s wet enough that her fingers glide so close to where she needs them most. She sets down the dildo beside her, spreading her legs wider so that she can spread her lips. 

She does the trick she had shown Niko once, but he could never quite master. It was the one sure way to have her crumble in his palm, but it never happened. 

She is wet enough that sliding two fingers into herself is easy. She does her best to not clench around them, relaxing. The palm of her hand rubs just enough against her clit, biting her lip at the sensation. Her toes curl at the same time her fingers do, her body reacting to the light taps against her gspot. She doesn’t want to draw this out, she wants to feel her own release as soon as possible. 

The sound of her own wetness makes her even more aroused, head falling against the cold tiles. Eve picks up the dildo, rubbing it against her clit, picking up the wetness before sliding it into herself. She pumps it slowly, her other hand rubbing her clit just as slow. 

Her hips move in time with every thrust, going deeper and deeper until the dildo is so far in that her fingers holding it have nowhere else to go. She looks down briefly at the suction cup of the dildo, suddenly inspired. 

She wets the suction cup, before getting up and putting it down where she sat. She holds the dildo between her legs as she slides down onto it, moaning out as it fills her completely once her ass connects with the tile. 

She spreads her legs, rubbing her clit as she bounces against the dildo, feeling the coil in her stomach ready to break at any moment. She lifts one leg up on the edge of the shower, letting herself sit at a better angle to ride and hit her gspot. 

She’s speeding up, her hips and her hand as she knows she’s about to burst. Her moans are echoing in the shower now, as well as the sound of her ass and thighs against the tile. 

But just as she’s nearing her peak, she feels a shooting pain in the leg she has propped up. 

“Fuck, ow!” She had never pulled a muscle masturbating. She sits down now, having moved the dildo of the tile seat. She massages her thigh, cursing that the one time she thinks of getting off that she ruins it for herself. 

With a tiny limp, she finishes up her shower and without a climax or further injury. She puts on a light coat of makeup, and straightens her hair. She’s putting on her necklace when she gets a text from Hugo with the address. 

She’s out of the door with her silver pumps by 7:25. 

When she arrives, she’s surprised to see so many people. Elena is in a corner checking people in. 

“Eve! I’m glad you could come and participate.” Elena’s smile falters when Eve’s face shows nothing but confusion. 

“Participate? I thought Hugo needed me to help.” Eve gets her answer immediately as Hugo siddles up next to her. 

“Yes you are helping by taking this name tag,” Hugo slaps it on her chest. “And this glass of wine, it’s your favorite red don’t worry. And making your cute self make the rounds.”

“I don’t have a way out of this do I?” Eve looks between Elena and Hugo. They both shake their heads. 

She takes a sip of her wine. “Let’s get this party started then.”

Only 20 minutes in and Eve is surprised by how much fun she is actually having. Hugo comes by to check on her when she’s sitting with a man named Charles. He was a 30 year old car salesman. Eve can admit that he had a very cute smile, but he was a bit more crass than Hugo. 

“So what do you like to do when you aren’t working? You seem.. very into your job.” Eve swishes around the wine in her glass. 

“Well first off, it’s a career. But thank you for that question. It’s a great one for me to answer. There’s a lot about me. I love a good shag to unwind from a long day.” Well this one was very straightforward. 

“Oh, I genuinely wanted to know. But hey, that works too. I love watching Netflix after I get home.” Eve tries to relate. 

Charles laughs a hearty laugh, wiping his cheeks as if tearing up. “Oh Eva, you are funny. Netflix and chill sounds like a lame excuse to take a nap. Just call it what it is. Fucking, shagging, you know.” 

Hugo must hear a portion of this as he passes by because he rings his bell to switch partners quickly before Eve can even grill Charles. 

Eve sits down and greets a new man, she can barely begin to greet him when Villanelle walks into the bar. 

“Are you fucking me?” Eve says out loud. 

The man looks at her amused. “I mean we only know each other’s names but I’m down with that.”

She gets up and hurries to Hugo, seeing that Villanelle had noticed her too, a look of annoyance already plastered on her face. 

“What the actual fuck, Hugo!” Eve pinches his arm. 

“I needed more participants and Elena convinced her to come.” Hugo rubs the spot she pinches. 

“No warning? No heads up? Nothing?” Eve is speaking in a rushed whisper, but those closest to them can hear. 

“I’m sorry, jeez. I mean maybe you won’t even sit together. You two can just be grumpy faces across the room. Relax.” 

“If someone goes through a glass window, it is your fault.” Eve walks away, taking Hugo’s wine glass out of his hands as she finishes hers in one gulp. 

Eve does her best to ignore Villanelle’s presence. And she thinks Villanelle does the same. Honestly, she still manages to have fun, swapping numbers with an older woman who had deals on some paintbrushes at her craft store. 

It’s nearing the end of the speed dating party when Villanelle sits down at the table Eve is at. 

“This is supposed to be fun, and I don’t think arguing with someone you don’t like is fun.” Eve comments. 

“All the other tables are filled, and I don’t feel like standing or sitting next to Hugo and Elena as they gush over each other.” Villanelle talks to her, but doesn’t look at her. 

“I guess you have a point there.” Eve snorts softly. 

“I always have a point. Great ones actually.” Villanelle crosses her arms. 

“Oh, here we go.” Eve rolls her eyes, taking in the black suit and black turtleneck the blonde woman in front of her wore.  _ She looks good, the bastard.  _

“I’m just saying that I’m good at what I do in court, and also in real life.” Villanelle shrugs, looking down at the table. 

“And I’m just saying that you don’t have to be a rude asshole about it. You can humble yourself sometimes.” Eve leans in close as she says this. 

It takes her by surprise when Villanelle finally looks at her. There’s a glint in her eyes that makes Eve gulp and lean back. She almost looked sad. 

“I never thought of myself as rude.” Villanelle breaks eye contact again, hazel eyes looking back around the bar again. 

“Then I guess you don’t meet many people who don’t like you. How lucky of you to be surrounded by yes men.” Eve shakes her head, blowing air out of her mouth. 

“No, I just hadn’t met someone as irritating as you.” 

The bell rings and they both look back at each other. The air is thicker than before. Eve is the first to look at this time, she grabs her drink and gets up quickly. But in her haste, she feels the pull of the muscle she pulled in her thigh stretch again. 

“Ow, really again.” Eve halts in her movement, having only taken one limping step away from the table. 

“What happened?” Villanelle shows real concern for her and it almost surprises Eve. 

“I pulled a muscle a few hours ago, that’s all. I’ll be fine.” Villanelle considers for a second. 

“Okay, if you say so.” Villanelle is walking away when Eve hisses in pain again. She’s holding the back of her thigh. 

“You need ice and to sit down somewhere.” Villanelle turns around, rolling her eyes. 

Eve looks at her up and down, as if waiting. “Okay.. and? Make yourself useful for once. Try not to put any poison in the ice somehow either.”

Eve sits back down, wincing at the pull in her thigh. Villanelle comes back with a small bag of ice and a reasonably clean dish towel. 

“Lift your leg.” Eve wants to protest but she does as she is told. Villanelle squats beside her chair, and lifts her leg slightly higher. Her fingers are gentle as they brush her skin, examining the area she was holding earlier. 

“You are gonna have a bruise, but you’ll be okay. It looks like a pulled muscle, but nothing too bad.” Villanelle sets her leg back down onto the seat, now with a bag of ice right under it. 

“Um.. thanks.” Eve says quietly. Her face felt warm, thinking about the woman below her and her fingers. 

Their eyes find each other’s again, Villanelle’s eyebrows furrowing before going back to neutral. 

She clears her throat and is back up again, standing above her. 

“Yeah well stop being so clumsy. You seem to need saving a lot and that’s not attractive.” Eve’s flushed face goes right back to irritated. 

“God you are such a dickhead.” 

“Whatever you say, Eve.” Villanelle walks away, the look on her face bothering Eve. She looked almost upset. More upset than she usually was when they ran into each other. 

She doesn’t see Villanelle the rest of the night, figuring she had left after their odd encounter. 

When she’s ready to leave, she rounds on Elena and Hugo. 

“Hey! Team Rocket, what you did was not okay.” Eve scolds them. 

They both look at her, their arms linked. 

“We don’t know what you could mean? Do we, babe?” Hugo’s mischievous grin matches Elena’s. 

“I should fire you.” Eve isn’t serious. 

“You wouldn’t. You love me too much.” Hugo links arms with Eve on his free arm. 

“You are still a pain in my ass though.” 

“And I saw some eye fucking.” Hugo wags his brows. 

“I’ll give you 10 seconds to run.” Eve unlinks her arms, taking her heels off. 

Hugo looks at her face, realising that she might just kill him, wasting precious seconds before running out of the bar and Eve running right behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for trouble, and make it double!-Elena and Hugo 2020


	8. Accidents happen and sometimes we blame others

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just enjoyed this chapter so instead of waiting for Thursday, it's here today! May or may not have a regular update on Thursday, so who knows. You guys might get two chapters this week! Again, kudos and comments are appreciated!

**40 Minutes After Eve Leaves**

**Villanelle**

She sped home. She popped open a bottle of Prosecco. She looked through all the unsaved numbers on her phone. She needed a warm body for the night. She just needed something. She needed a distraction, a hot one. One that would just shut up and fuck her. She has two glasses of wine as she waits for one of her old hookups to arrive. 

She takes out her strap, stripping down from her suit. She’s taking the blazer off when she notices a wet spot on the sleeve.  _ The ice _ . Frustration, irritation, and a bit of amusement runs through her now, making her throw the blazer into the farthest part of her closet. 

_ Out of sight, out of mind.  _

She puts her strapless strap onto the kitchen island, sitting in the armchair that almost faces the front door, enough that she can give Lauren a good view. She makes sure to send one more text along with having one more glass of wine. Villanelle lets Lauren know that the door is already unlocked. 

She rests her head against the back of the armchair, sighing. “I’m not rude, I’m just honest.” She mumbles to herself. 

Villanelle sits in silence for a few minutes. Trying to let the waves of tipsy ease her mind. The three knocks on the door and then the click of the handle let’s her know without having to open her eyes that Lauren’s here. 

“I want you to do very specific things for me right now. Okay?” Her eyes aren’t open, but she knows that she’s being looked at. She looks too good naked for her to not be stared at. 

“Y-yes. You look-” Lauren stammers before Villanelle interrupts. 

“No, I don’t want you to talk unless I’m fucking you.” The silence from the other woman lets her know she can continue. 

“Take the strap, look in my room on the tv stand. The drawer in the middle has lube. Bring both back in here, and then wait for more instructions.” 

The sound of footsteps going down the hallway, and then stopping momentarily before coming back to the living room are almost peaceful to Villanelle. 

When she knows that Lauren is standing before her, she continues. “I want you to get naked. After you are naked, I want you to get on your knees in front of me, and then put lube on both ends of the strap. Then you are going to ease it into me. So I can fuck you.”

She hears Lauren gulp with how quiet the apartment is. The sound of clothes being removed, and then the warmth of Lauren kneeling turns her own. She feels Lauren’s hand push one of her thighs further away, before she feels the strap caressing her clit. Her hips twitch from the sensation. Lauren slowly slides the strap into Villanelle, making Villanelle finally open her eyes. 

The woman on her knees is so interested in the strap going into her that she doesn’t see Villanelle’s half lidded gaze. She breathes out, relaxing herself around the curved end of the strap. It settled naturally against her g-spot. Lauren looks up now, having put it in as far as she can. 

“Get on the couch, lay on your stomach, and put a pillow underneath your stomach.” She watches Lauren get up, doing as she’s told. 

“Can I spank you? Do you like to be spanked?” Villanelle licks her lips, looking at Lauren’s ass as it sits there. 

“I love being spanked.” Lauren turns to look at her now. 

The ridges of the strap rub against Villanelle’s clit as she gets up. She knows she is going to strap dripping once she’s inside of Lauren. 

She straddles Lauren’s legs. She puts the strap right between her cheeks, letting it rest there as she rubs both hands against Lauren’s ass. “I want to thank you for listening so well. I am going to reward you.” She slaps once. Lauren moans through the sting of the slap. 

“I’m going to fuck you so hard. Would you like that?” Villanelle’s voice is thick with desire. Another slap, both cheeks now pink. 

“Yes, please Villanelle.” Lauren’s hand is gripping the armrest of the couch. Villanelle gives one cheek two slaps. She bites her lip watching her ass get redder. 

“Say that again.” Slap. 

“Oh god, yes please.” Lauren moans out. Slap. 

Lauren’s cheeks clench, making Villanelle rub them. “Relax.”

Villanelle takes the strap in her hands, moving back on Lauren’s thighs. She adjusts the tip right at her entrance, looking at how wet she is already. 

She drops some lube onto the strap before throwing the bottle on the floor and it lands somewhere in the kitchen. 

Villanelle moves her hips forward, easing in the tip. With every thrust, she inches in deeper into Lauren, the woman below her letting out breathy moans. 

Once completely in, she works on a steady rhythm, feeling herself squeeze around the part of the strap inside her. They both moan as Villanelle gets faster, the sound of her hips hitting against Lauren’s ass making her drip even more. 

She slows down to lay flush against Lauren, wrapping an arm around her stomach before speeding up. 

Her thrusts are harder now, she’s biting her lip as she feels the flutter in her stomach build. “I’m gonna-” Lauren tries to get out but she cuts herself off with a loud moan. Villanelle takes this as a sign that they both need releases. Her strokes are harder, but slower and rhythmic. 

“Cum, cum for me. Cum with me.” Villanelle bites Lauren’s ear and neck. She feels her walls squeeze hard on the strap, moaning loudly with Lauren as they both reach climax. 

They both slump down, breathing hard as they come down from their high. 

“Just, wow. I don’t think I’ve ever had a quickie like that before.” Lauren chuckles. 

“I’m good like that.” Villanelle taps her ego with this. She slides off of Lauren before heading to the bathroom. She yells out as she makes her way down the hall, “Feel free to grab a snack on your way out!” 

She heads to the bathroom, grabbing her robe off the hook on the back of the door. When she walks out, she finds Lauren has left.  _ Oh, no need to say bye. _ She grabs water out of the fridge, taking a sip as she grabs her phone off the counter. She sees 5 missed calls from Elena and 2 voicemails. 

She’s about to message her to see what the issue is when she receives a call from a random number. “Elena, please tell me you are calling from a random number because you ended this weird fling with Hugo and need me to come pick you up.” 

“Come downstairs and help me.” It was Eve. Hearing the woman’s voice so raspy takes her by surprise. 

“How do you have my address?” Villanelle concentrates now, not wanting to pay attention to her cheeks gaining a tinge of pink thinking about her voice. 

“I have your bestfriend who is very drunk, and Hugo is in my car very drunk as well. She told me to drop her here because it’s closer than her place.” Villanelle bites her lip, considering. 

“Okay.. fine. I’m coming down.”

It only takes her a few minutes to come downstairs and find Elena doing a little dance next to a sober Eve. 

The older woman has her hair up in another bun. Villanelle notices that she feels displeased by this, but doesn’t linger on the feeling long. 

“Come on party animal.” She tries to hold Elena’s arm, but as soon as the woman takes a step, she’s wobbly. 

“Here.” Eve takes her other arm. They go up the elevator in silence. Neither looking at each other, only being able to look at Elena dancing to the cheesy elevator music. 

When they make it into the apartment, Villanelle becomes very aware that she’s left the lube on the floor and the strap on the counter next to the sink. “Wait let me-” 

“YOU HAVE BEEN SHAGGING TONIGHT” Elena bounces around the kitchen. 

“Elena, please. Let my neighbors here too.” Villanelle tries to get her out of the kitchen, but she wags her eyebrows. 

“Oh they probably heard alright.” Elena winks. Villanelle might kill her with her bare hands, be damned a witness. 

“Okay, alright. You’ve had your fun. Grab the water in the fridge, grab something for you to potentially barf in and then take my bed. Do not throw up on my pillow, damn it.” Villanelle points down the hall, feeling like a scolding parent. 

“You got it partner.” Elena does her best impression of a southern country American accent. Villanelle rubs her neck, watching her friend wobble down the hall. 

When she turns around, she finds Eve hovering by the couch, looking at her strap on the counter still. 

“You uh.. You left your .. on the counter.” Eve looks down and then back at Villanelle. She can make out a bit of pink growing. 

“Yep, yep.” She walks over as the older woman moves out of her way. She picks up the strap and heads to the back to put it back into it’s drawer. She finds Elena, already asleep on her bed. She takes her shoes off, putting the trash bin next to the bed and the water on her nightstand. She brushes her hair out of her face before patting her head. That was her own little secret, the affection she showed to her best friend in her sleep. She would never be this soft while she was awake. 

She comes back out to the entryway, noticing that Eve had moved only slightly further into the livingroom, her back towards her. 

“What are you doing?” Villanelle startles the older woman. Eve jumps, fumbling the bottle of lube in her hand before spilling it. 

“Oh fuck, I’m sorry. The cap was open and then I decided to smell-” 

“You were smelling my lube? Oh it’s all over the floor. I’ll just-”

They both walk over to pick up the bottle, but manage to slip on the spilled lube. They crash into each other. Eve lands on top of Villanelle, her robe showing more of her cleavage. 

“I’m sorry.” Villanelle says first, holding Eve’s arm to brace her landing. Her other hand is on her waist. They both blink, not noticing how close their faces are. Villanelle can smell the wine on Eve’s breath. She sees the faded lipstick on her lips, a much duller red than what was clear on her lips an hour ago. It feels like time slows down for her, even though it’s been seconds. 

The sound of Elena’s footsteps clears her head. It seems to have the same effect on Eve. They both quickly get up, untangling themselves. 

“You shouldn’t go through people’s things.” Villanelle feels herself go back to normal. 

“And for a second, I thought you were capable of being nice.” Eve takes her bun down, ruffling her hair before putting it back up again. 

“No, you are still irritating, even in my own home.” Villanelle fixes her robe, noticing that Elena is standing in front of her open fridge. 

Elena turns around, still drunk, with a piece of apple in her mouth. “Are you two eye fucking again?”

“Well, she seems to be in good hands. Goodnight, Elena.” Eve leaves quickly. 

“Did I say something wrong?” Elena’s pout is exaggerated with how drunk she is. 

“Go back to bed.” 

“I’ll go back to bed when you start being nicer.” She was going to kill Elena in her sleep. 


	9. Kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Abortion
> 
> Please take care while reading this. Or even skip this chapter. It is heavy and I just want to warn people.

**Eve, 28**

She sat in the office, fidgeting with her hands. Knee bouncing in time with her heart almost. She could hear every single sound in this waiting room. The receptionist typing away on her keyboard. The scraping of chairs in the back. The flipping of magazine’s. Small children asking tired mother’s for things they didn’t have on them. 

She looks at one little boy, no older than 3. He was playing with dinosaurs that were laid out onto a big play thing for the children in the office. He would smile and look back at his mother, wanting her to see the different types of dinosaurs he would pick up. It makes her touch her stomach without thinking. 

She was 6 weeks pregnant. She was 6 weeks pregnant and all she could think about was Niko’s face light up when they stood in the bathroom together, waiting for the test to give them a result. She was sick as they waited, thinking in her head that it needed to be negative. That her period would come and this was just a one off. But she’s only met with watery, smiley tears from Niko and a sign on a piece of plastic that made her want to puke. 

But here she was at the clinic. Here she was lying to Niko about where she was for the afternoon. She didn’t want to lie to him. She didn’t want to hurt him. 

She wasn’t ready for this. To be a mother. She wasn’t ready to bear a child in her body. Maybe it was the constant overthinking but she could swear she felt the changes to her body almost immediately, even before she had confirmation that she was pregnant. 

But Niko insisted that they’d be happy. That they’d be a perfect family. That she would be the perfect mother. And it only made her feel worse. She had never thought of being a mother before meeting Niko. She thought kids were cute, that people with kids had the patience of saints. But she never thought of herself as one. Or as someone who would be one. A mother. A perfect mother.  _ What did that even mean? _

She had cried after leaving the office to schedule the procedure. Right in her car. And she did all the way home, thankful that she was home before Niko. 

She hears her name called and she gathers her jacket and bag. There’s a breath caught in her throat. She sees the nurse talking to her, but her words are muffled. 

She lays down on the table after putting on a gown. 

She runs through the motions that she is told to do. 

She feels something cold. 

She feels a hand. 

She keeps the tears at bay. 

She doesn’t breathe until she is in the car. She gasps in air, every intake of breath shaking her body with a sob. 

She thinks she can compose herself before she leaves, but as soon as she grips the wheel, her knuckles are white. She screams as she shakes the wheel, giving it one hit before sliding back into her seat. 

She gets home and Niko is waiting there, with her fave snacks and her fave movie. 

She cuddles with him on the couch. She thinks she can do this, she can compose herself. She can push the stirrups out her head. She can push the sound of the machine out of her head. 

She can-

She feels Niko’s hand move her back and then wipe her face. She can’t meet his face, but the tears keep coming. 

She can’t hold it in. 

She can’t lie to him anymore. 

She tells him. 

And he is silent. 

He moves over on the couch. 

His hands shake, but she still can’t meet his eyes. She focuses on his lips. 

He yells. 

She tells him why. 

They both yell. 

He’s packing a bag. 

He stays with friends. 

Their bed is cold. She can’t complain about how hot Niko gets under the covers. She sleeps on the couch instead. 

When he comes back, they talk. He tells her that he had time to think. 

He isn’t upset that she did it, he’s upset that she did it without talking to him. But there’s something in his eyes that she knows is nothing but hurt. He was still hurt. 

He fixes dinner that night, looking at the weeks of take. 

They fall back into the routine of each other. 

But there’s always something sitting just between them. And she heals, very slowly. Her heart stops feeling like it’s breaking all the time, but instead a slow chipping away stands in its place.

They go to therapy for a few months, she thinks things are better now. 

It’s on her 33 birthday that she surprises Niko with adoption information. And things change. They were already a we, but now there was someone on the way possibly. 

And Niko runs with the possibility. And Eve tries to keep up. Because she loves him. Or she thinks so. No, she does. He was good for her. He was good to her. He loved her. 

**Present**

Eve sits in her car, she was in Niko’s driveway. Him and Gemma had invited her over for dinner, as Dakota was spending the night with a friend. She runs her hands down her dress once she gets out of the car. A gift from Hugo on her birthday last year. It was a velvet, dark green dress. The past few months had her discovering that she did enjoy wearing the odd dress every once in a while. But there was nothing more comforting than her overalls and sweats. She was a woman of simple tastes, and she wasn’t going to let anyone judge her for it. 

Before she can even ring the doorbell, Gemma answers the door. “Eve!” She’s far too cheery for Eve right now. She’s wearing a dress with cats scattered on it with sleeves, and it feels fitting for her. Eve makes a note to ask for a glass of something to survive the night. She’s squeezed into a hug, “Hello, Gemma”

“Please come in, Niko is still in the kitchen. A proper chef that man is.” Gemma giggles, as if laughing at a secret. 

“That he is.” Eve does her best version of a smile. She walks down the hallway with Gemma and finds Niko standing over a boiling pot of something, hips swaying. He’s playing a Polish song that she can’t remember the name of. 

“Sweetums! Eve is here.” Niko jumps, before turning around with a wooden spoon. He brushes his hands on his apron. “Hey, I’m sorry. Everything is almost done.” 

She sits at a small dining table, Gemma sitting across from her. 

“So how are things at the office?” Gemma attempts small talk. 

“Oh, things are good. I love my work, I love my clients.” Gemma perks up at this. 

“You sound like me and the kids at school. God, they are so precious.” Eve hears Gemma sigh contently. 

“That’s really good, I’m sure they enjoy you as well.” Eve had never stepped foot in Gemma’s class, but she was sure that if they were any of the same kids that Niko taught that they found her annoying. For years, they tried to get Niko to teach at the same school Dakota went to, but there were never any good offers for him. 

Gemma tries to make more small talk, a superpower of hers. But she is only met with “Hmm” and “Yeah”. Eve wasn’t intentionally being short, but she felt off. She had never spent this much time at Niko’s place. Even when she helped him move in, at least there was constant movement in and out of the house. 

She excuses herself to the bathroom, figuring that she needs a moment to calm down. She was going to be okay. She would get through this one dinner with Niko and Gemma. 

She makes her way upstairs, looking at the newly added pictures of Gemma and tiny dogs hanging on the walls leading up the stairs. She doesn’t hate dogs, but god did she have the urge to kick the dogs that Gemma held in these pictures. 

Once in the bathroom she runs the faucet. She pats her neck, wrist, and forehead with cool water. When she goes to wipe her hands dry with the hanging towel, she accidentally kicks the small trash bin beside the toilet. She bends down and pinches her fingers to put everything back in the bin. It’s when she gets through most of it that she notices a stick. 

Two lines. 

And then she notices another stick. Two more lines. 


	10. Everyone has a mask, or whatever Shakespeare said

**Villanelle**

She was tapping against the table, some tune that she heard in passing when she went out for lunch with Elena yesterday. She’d have to ask her if she knew the title later. 

Konstantin sat in front of her, slowly typing and squinting at his computer screen. His poking of the keyboard amuses Villanelle.  _ He’s such an old man _ . 

“I’ve been waiting in here for 10 minutes and-” Konstantin shushes her. 

She holds up her hands in defeat. Konstantin stops typing for a minute and just stares at her. She begins to feel uncomfortable under his gaze, he only ever looked at her like this when he was analyzing. Picking apart pieces of her that she didn’t want to talk about. He sighs as he rubs his face. 

“There’s been a complaint.” 

“Okay, by who?” Villanelle picks a piece of lint off her pant leg, unbothered so far by this discovery. 

“A former client of yours said you were-” He looks down at the paper, flipping to the next page. “Picking a fight with her, even though you were supposed to be helping her. She said you scared her and she decided to pay out her remaining fee with us and go to another firm.” 

Konstantin slides the papers over to her and takes a peek, but doesn’t make a move to pick it up. 

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, I don’t see why that is an issue. She still paid.” She crosses her arms, irritated that this even had to be a conversation where she was being talked down to. 

“You don’t see the issue here, do you?” He smiles, but it’s less than friendly. Villanelle cocks her head to the side. 

“You got a haircut?” Villanelle squints, taking in how he looks less like he was balding now with his first decent haircut in years. She always made fun of him for trying to hold onto his last bit of hair. 

“Yes, but that’s not what we are here for. This is one complaint out of many. You aren’t doing your job. You are supposed to be helping these people, but instead, you are scaring them away. How is that good for business? You’ve been angrier. Moody. You’ve got that same chip on your shoulder from when A-”

“I don’t. That was different. I’m fine.” She didn’t want to hear her name out loud. She had done well to push those memories very deep into the back of her mind. She even imagined herself putting cement over them. She begins to fidget now, remembering how hard it was to come back from  _ her. _

“If it’s different, if you are fine…. go to therapy.” He leans back into his chair, hands behind his head. 

“I don’t need therapy.” She felt like she was a child again. 

“You do. I’m not going to let you spiral out of control. Because this might seem crazy to you, but I do care about you Villanelle. So if you would like to keep this job, if you would like to keep living comfortably in your very expensive apartment, then you need to get some help.” And now she was stuck in the corner. 

She mumbles under her breath. 

“What was that?” 

“I said okay, I will.”

And through her irritation, she found a therapist that didn’t sound like they’d piss her off the moment she stepped foot into the office. His name was Bill Pargrave. Plenty of years getting people to open up and probably tell their sob stories. She would go to therapy just to appease Konstantin though. He meant well, but it still bothered her that she had to even be here. She would test this therapist’s limits though. See if she could break him before he could even think that he was getting anything out of her. 

She had been to therapy once before when she was younger. She left the woman’s office after giving her insult after insult. She had been 13 at the time, dealing with the very dramatic divorce of her parents, and then the very violent death of her father. Villanelle didn’t feel anything when she found out the news. And she was confused when she witnessed her mother crying over him. He was a shitty man after all. So when the weeks ran by, and Villanelle showed no signs of mourning, her mother insisted that she see someone. 

It bored her beyond belief, and the woman she was sent to see was adamant that Villanelle had some issues. 

“You use anger and your enjoyment of getting under people’s skin to hide any amount of hurt.” It only made her skin crawl, watching this mole ridden woman try to get under her skin. 

She takes one look at the faded area on her left ring finger. “Did your lover leave you because they also found you annoying?” This was the tamest of remarks Villanelle made, but they were enough that the therapist no longer thought she needed to see Villanelle regularly. 

She takes a little longer to get ready, even waiting in the parking garage a little longer. When she knocks on his door, she hears a quick “Come in.”

The first thing she notices is that for an older man, he had a lot of chic pieces. The bookshelf was white oak, his couch and office chair were an orange that didn’t make her want to puke. She sees the picture on his desk that has a child, and then next to it him and what she assumes to be his wife based on the ring on his finger. 

He speaks again, looking down at pieces of paper strewn across his desk. “There’s tea in that pot over there, if you’d like. It’s matcha.” 

She moves to go look but doesn’t grab a cup. He glides from his seat, coming over to sit opposite of the couch that did look very comfortable. She plops down into the cushions, noting that she should ask him where he got it afterward. 

But if there was an after of course. She shouldn’t get too comfortable here. 

“My wife is convinced that if I drink more tea, I’ll have less heartburn, lose some weight, and so forth. Little does she know that my lunch breaks are usually takeaway.” He looks at her now, and she notices a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

“Ha” is the only thing she offers him. She didn’t like that he wasn’t annoying her immediately. 

He takes a moment to look at her, but it doesn’t feel like she’s being put under a microscope. 

“You don’t want to be here.”

“What gave it away?” She leans back against the couch more, crossing her ankles. 

“You were late, by a good 20 minutes. I was here a good 10 minutes before you. I believe that was your very stylish Aston Martin next to the old wagon.”  _ A man with a good eye _ . Though this was his job, he was being paid to be observant. 

“Do you like cars?” Villanelle uncrosses her legs, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. 

“You know I find them fascinating but I’m much more of a fashion man myself.” He nods to her shirt. She takes notice, doing a little shimmy in appreciation. 

“You’ve got great taste, I’ll give you that for being a therapist.” She smirks, scratching the back of her neck. 

“You sound like you don’t like therapists. What was the last one like?” He’s barely written anything down and this makes Villanelle feel at ease. 

“She was an annoying cunt.” Mr. Pargrave barks out a laugh, and she can’t help but join him. 

“I mean it! I may have been young but... I never wanted to tell someone to shut up more than in those minutes with her.” She leans back again, draping her arm on one side of the couch. 

“Well, hopefully, I am not just another annoying cunt.” 

Villanelle sees him again, and again. And again. And each meeting she found that he was good, he was very good at his job. He wasn’t like the cliches she saw on tv or even like the one therapist she had years ago. He was patient, he was funny, he listened, he put up with her snide comments when he picked too much at the rust of her walls. She didn’t feel like she was a specimen. She had started calling him Bill, as she felt comfortable sharing the tea with him while opening up small pieces of herself. 

“Do you ever feel like control is the only thing you have? Is that why being a lawyer and ripping people a new one feels so right to you? Or as you said in our last session it feels  _ satisfying _ ?” He’s wearing loafers that she has in her closet somewhere, mentioning how his wife nearly threw them out. Villanelle had commented that he should listen to his wife more. 

She’s laying on his couch. Her boots were clean, so he didn’t mind her throwing her feet up. 

“It’s the look on their face, you know? That realization that I’ve caught them in a lie. That their defense is useless. Or that I have the upper hand in any situation. I enjoy it. Sometimes it amuses me. I don’t like other people having any sort of control over my choices, my future, my life.” 

“But yet, you are here because of Konstantin. What do you think of him?” She scratches the back of her neck, looking up at the ceiling. 

“I think he feels obligated to look after me. A family friend. Someone who probably loves me.” She shrugs, wondering when this would be over. 

“Probably?” Bill smooths back his hair. He made her think of Konstantin, the way he bad been balding and holding onto hair.  _ Why do old men do this? _

“We share dinner together sometimes, he brings his daughter. We share drinks, a laugh sometimes. He keeps me out of trouble. I think that’s probably someone who loves me.”

“Do you wish you had more people who loved you?” She sits up now, rubbing her hands together and cracking her neck. She stares at Bill now, noticing the way he played with his pen in his hand. The comfortable walls started to feel like a cement room, the door looking like it was bolted shut as she takes a quick glance at it. 

She says nothing, but she looks back at him now, jaw clenched. “I believe our session is about up though. So perhaps we save that for next time?” He clips his notebook closed, standing up to walk her to the door. 

She’s out quicker than she can blink. She sits in her car, breathing deeply. She grips the seatbelt tight, her knuckles straining under her skin. Movement out of the corner of her eye momentarily stops her fall out. Dark brown curls fall from a bun, hands wipe paint on baggy green ugly pants. 

It’s Eve. And Villanelle can’t take her eyes off the woman as she slides down the wall, laughing. She puts her head between her knees and Villanelle thinks she sees her shaking from laughing more, but it isn’t until Eve leans back up and against the wall that she notices tears. 

She feels uncomfortable at the sight and it only upsets her even more. Anyone else would rush over. But not her, screw her. She wasn’t in the mood for another argument. Whatever it was was not her problem. She’s almost hoping someone somehow realizes that the older woman has been gone and checks on her. She looks down at her phone and then back at Eve for a minute. 

“Fuck it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know when the smut is happening. Just thought I should say lol


	11. Lifts are the doorway to sexual tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

**Eve**

She sits at her desk at work. She has the worst headache. She sighs looking at the paperwork on her desk and the several tabs she has open on her screen. She’s rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand when her door opens. 

“I’ve brought coffee and breakfast croissants.” Hugo sets down a tray with two coffees and sits in the armchair. 

“You are my favorite person this week.” She picks up the cup with her name on it as he slides one of the sandwiches her way. 

“I love the sound of that, can you say it again?” Hugo sports his usual cheeky smile. 

“Don’t push your luck. I’ve got enough on my plate as is.” She sighs into her first bite. Hugo leans back, twirling his hair in between two fingers. 

“Do you wanna talk about baby Nemka?” Eve rolls her eyes at him. It was the name he started using for Niko and Gemma’s unborn child. 

“God, that name is gross.”

“Has he told Dakota yet?” 

Eve laughs, thinking about how dinner went weeks ago. She had sat in their bathroom a minute longer after finding the test. Her eyes watered but she composed herself. It took Niko and Gemma until halfway into the dinner to tell her anything. Niko tried to have Gemma lead the conversation, but Gemma seemed far too nervous. He doesn’t mention the proposal, but he seems to fluster when he seems surprised that Eve thinks it’s better that they both talk to Dakota about the pregnancy. 

She wasn’t upset that Niko was starting a family. She didn’t have any feelings for him. That had passed. She was upset about how things turned out. He was having a baby with the woman he started seeing soon after they divorced. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t make her feel a bit off. 

She had seen them, at the grocery store one day, hand in hand. It was a week after Eve told him that she wanted the divorce. And Eve would never know if anything happened, but she could imagine that they were more than friendly when they were still married. It felt like a punch to the gut. 

“No, he basically wants me to do it. He wants me to take one for the team.” Eve sips her coffee, thankful that it’s easing her headache. 

“I know Niko wasn’t the brightest, to begin with, but why is he making you do it when you aren’t the one having a child?” 

“Because he’s a fucking coward.” Hugo lifts up his cup. 

“I’ll cheers to that. Why not have him there? Why can’t the both of you talk about it with him?” Eve shakes her head. 

“He has been hard to pin down to do that. But this is on him. I don’t understand how he doesn’t want to respect his son by telling him himself.”

“Niko seems like the kind of man that doesn’t want to do the heavy lifting in relationships.” Hugo brushes crumbs from his mouth as he stands. 

“Oh, you have no idea, Hugo. That man was a headache when he wanted to be.” 

“Lunch on me today?” He opens the door to leave. Before Eve can answer, her office phone rings. 

“Eve Polastri speaking.” 

“It’s Niko. Do you have a second?” Eve bristles, not usually getting workday calls from him. 

“Yeah, I do. Is everything..okay? I haven’t received any calls from the school.” Hugo sits back down, imitating Niko. He rubs his upper lip as if he has a mustache. 

“Do you think you could go with Gemma to her first appointment?” Niko has wariness laced in his voice. 

“Niko, please don’t tell me you are asking me to take  _ your  _ girlfriend to her first prenatal appointment.” Eve leans against her chair, fingers at her temple as she feels her headache coming back in full force. 

“I-I am. It would be great if you could do this. I’ll even pick up Dakota from school.” Niko sounds cheery now as if he has given the best compromise to his own problem. 

“And if you pick him up, are you going to tell him about Gemma?” Eve knows she’s caught him, as Niko takes almost a full minute to respond. 

“I can’t do that yet Eve. It’s hard.” Eve laughs from her stomach. 

“It’s hard? What is hard Niko?” 

“I don’t know how to tell him. I’m scared he’ll be upset. He’s a sensitive boy. How do you explain to your adopted son that you are having a child with a woman who isn’t his adopted mother?”

It takes everything in her to not yell. They had moved past “adoptive” parents. And it only made her want to rip his mustache off. They were his parents, adopted or not. 

“We are his parents. This has nothing to do with the adoption. This is about giving our son the respect and care he deserves. I’m not going to be your messenger, Niko. You got her pregnant. This is something we either all do together, or you fuck off and tell him yourself. We aren’t playing hot potato with our child for your ego.” Hugo gives a nod in agreement along with a silent snap of his fingers. 

“I’m not-I’m not trying to play hot potato with Dakota. Just forget I even asked. I’ll tell him eventually.” 

“Sooner rather than later.”

“I’ll tell him in my own time.” 

“Niko fuck off” Eve couldn’t hold it in any longer. 

“What?” Niko seems to choke on whatever he is eating. 

“I said fuck off. Either you tell him today, or I pick him up today and we come over. But I’m not going to let you push this off on me. I’m not going to let you wait until she’s ready to pop for you to go ‘Surprise Kota, you’ve got a sibling coming in a few weeks!’ So no, I will not go to Gemma’s fucking appointment. Step up, Niko.”

Eve hangs up the phone before he can respond. He calls again on her cellphone, but she denies it. 

“Hugo, I’m gonna step out.” She pulls out the cigarette box from the last drawer on her desk. Hugo rubs her back as she passes him out the door. 

She’s laughing as she aggressively presses the button for the lift. And she’s still laughing as she stands in it. She comes out to the parking garage and slides down the wall next to the stairs, scanning the garage for anyone else. Her laughs begin to transition into crying. She sighs as she feels her anger and exhaustion roll out of her. 

Her head hangs between her knees before she leans back to wipe her face. 

She looks down at her watch, cursing to herself that she has an appointment in 30 minutes and she wasn’t even sure if she was ready. She looks up, scanning the garage again and hoping no one saw her minor breakdown. 

She sees something worse. 

Villanelle is getting out of her car, making her way over. Eve keeps her words to herself, not wanting to be even more pissed off. 

Villanelle sits down beside her. Neither of them saying anything, until Eve gets uncomfortable with the woman’s silence. 

“So do you just sit by old women when they have a breakdown often?” Eve says, taking out a cigarette and trying to light it. 

“No, and I certainly don’t want to be doing this right now. But you just looked like you needed the company. Surprised Hugo isn’t here.” Villanelle pulls out her own lighter and lights Eve’s cigarette, scrunching up her face slightly, but Eve says nothing of it. 

“How nice of you. And no, he is inside. What are you doing here?” Eve looks down, flicking the end of her cigarette. 

“Therapy. You must know Bill?” Villanelle is looking at her, but Eve doesn’t meet her gaze. 

“Coworker, best friend, babysitter. Yeah.” Villanelle nods at this. 

“I’m surprised we haven’t run into each more often, seeing as we use to do that a lot. But I am also surprised you are such good friends.” Eve looks up at her, eyebrows showcasing her confusion. 

“Why is that?” Eve takes a draw from her cigarette, blowing it out of her nose away from Villanelle’s face. 

“He’s pleasant.” The younger woman shrugs. Eve’s head rolls back with a laugh. 

“Wow, just wow.” 

“What? He is. I’m convinced that you aren’t good at your job with the number of arguments you get into.” 

“You mean with you?” 

“Yeah, every time we see each other, we just argue. I find you annoying, you find me annoying. I don’t think we could ever get along even remotely the same as me and Bill.” Eve chuckles at them being on a first-name basis. 

“He’s your therapist. And he is a damn good one. So of course you ‘get along’. With how you act, you should feel happy that someone is able to go tit for tat with you and I’m assuming, get through whatever issues you’ve got going on.” Eve flicks her cigarette to the ground, using her heel to press it out. 

“How I act? Do you talk to other people like this? Do you talk to your son like this?” Eve feels her walls come back up with this. 

“No it’s just assholes like you.” She gets up and goes to press the lift button repeatedly. 

Villanelle is stood up now, coming over to her. “Hey, no, assholes don’t come to check on you when you are having whatever middle-age meltdown you are having. But whatever, I shouldn’t have wasted my time.” She’s in Eve’s face and Eve can see the frustration far more evident on her face than before. Irritation was a far more common look on her, this took her by surprise. 

“You know what? Thank you, Villanelle. For taking the time out of your clearly busy day to just so happen to be in the same parking garage as me, and sit beside me to not say anything. You are such a big fucking help.” Eve pokes a finger into her shoulder and Villanelle grabs it. 

“If anyone needs therapy, it is you. I don’t know if therapists have their own therapists but clearly you need one.” 

Eve realizes just how close they are now. It feels like something is pushing them together and the air between them is thicker than their last meeting. 

“Fuck you.”

“Yeah, fuck you too.” Villanelle still has her finger in her hand. Eve takes one look at Villanelle’s lips. She thinks back to the last time they were this close. 

“I don’t like you.” Eve says out loud, in almost a whisper. 

“Same here.” Villanelle looks down at her lips now before looking back to her eyes. 

The lift door dings as it opens. Hugo comes out in a rush. They spring apart. “Oh Eve there you are, I just wanted to-” He notices Villanelle. 

“Hello lovely” Hugo gives her a smile, but she turns away and heads to her car. 

“What’s her problem? Wait, what’s your problem?”

“She’s such an asshole.” Eve huffs as they get into the lift. 

“I think you are just attracted to assholes.”

Eve turns to him, dismayed. 

“You two have a lot in common based on what Elena told me.” 

“Hugo, I’m ordering everything on the menu for lunch if you keep this up.” Eve presses their floor number. 

“Okay, but you’ll thank me when you two finally shag the frustration and hate out of each other.”

Eve dramatically gags, but she feels something grow in the pit of her stomach again, doing her best to push the feeling down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing to say


	12. Avoiding people should be an Olympic Sport Pt I

**Villanelle**

She picks at her nails as she sits in front of Bill, leg bouncing. He hadn’t pushed her to tell him what happened for this meeting to happen an hour earlier than usual. She was far more annoyed than usual. In the last two meetings, she was on edge. A bit paranoid, and he had picked up on it easily. And she hated it. And she hated why. 

Bill taps his notepad, he showed Villanelle once that he would doodle in it occasionally. 

“Do you know Eve?” Villanelle does her best to act nonchalant, but her scratching her neck gives her away. 

“Yes, I do. Colleague and friend. How do you know her?” 

“I found out that she works here. I know her through a friend. Well, my friend is dating an annoying man who knows Eve.” She intertwines her fingers in her lap. 

“Hugo?” She taps her nose in response. 

“The one and only. I don’t know what Elena sees in him. She is kind and thoughtful. She is funny, she has good taste in music. She is beautiful, very intelligent, she could have anyone she wanted.” She lays her head against the couch, looking at the bookshelf. He had a lot of cookbooks and astrology books. She wonders if he was into birth charts like Elena is. 

“If she could have anyone she wants, then clearly she has chosen Hugo. He is a lot to handle, I’ll admit. But what does this have to do with you? Or Eve?” He writes something down. She’s still making a point to look at his books. 

“I saw her. She was crying. Out in the parking garage. And honestly, I thought about just leaving her to it. I don’t like her, I find her annoying, and she thinks the world has to wait with bated breath for her.” 

Bill looks at her over his glasses, “With all due respect to your friend?” Villanelle tries to offer, looking at him now. 

He smirks and shakes his head. “No, no. Say what you will. You know, all those things you said about Elena, I’d say about Eve.”

“She has great hair.”

“Pardon?”

“Eve, she has great hair.” She thinks about the brown and greying curls before leaning back to look at more books, wanting to not think about her any more than she already has. 

“That she does. And what do you think of yourself?” 

She sits there, silent for a few minutes. She knew what she wanted to say, but then she sees the curls again and it only irritates her. 

“I think I’m great.”

“Is that all?”

“I don’t need anything else. I’ve got my looks, I’ve got my money, all the clothes I could want, I get laid whenever I want. Women fawn over me. It’s easy. So I must be great.” 

He writes something else down and she sits up, blowing air out of her nose. 

“While I am sure you are great, Villanelle, it does sound like you don’t know your strengths out of the superficial.” He pushes up his glasses. 

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Elena thinks-” Villanelle pauses. Her mouth hangs open slightly, wanting to tell Bill what Elena thinks of her. But she is stuck. 

“Do you think that Elena sometimes keeps a bit of truth from you, and though she cares about you, doesn’t know how to tell you a more truth?” 

She clenches her jaw, no longer wanting to talk. 

“I’m going to recommend a volunteer place for you. Mainly for kids, it could be fun for you. But I want you to focus on helping. Giving back. It’s this weekend. You don’t have to go, but I think if you went… Well, it might help you open up a bit.” 

Villanelle takes the piece of paper he gives her, ignoring his farewell in a hurry. She felt the heat rise on her neck and the usual urge to hold something, anything. In her car, she takes deep breaths. She pulls up Elena’s number, finger hovering over the call button. 

She lets it ring once before throwing it in the backseat. She didn’t want to hear her only friend tell her things that weren’t entirely true. Villanelle cared about Elena, she cared about what she had to say. What else was there? What else did there need to be? If there was a problem then Elena would have told her. At least she thinks so. 

_ But what exactly does Bill know anyways? Whoever gave him his degree scammed him _ . 

She is irritated for the next few days, but it doesn’t stop her from constantly looking at the place scrawled onto the paper Bill gave her. 

“Discovery Science museum.” She reads it aloud, thinking of how she had never gone to a museum specifically for kids before. 

From what she could get from the one phone call she made to the front desk, every weekend, kids from different parts of the city would take an immersive tour. The woman on the other end took her name down as a volunteer. 

But when the day comes, Villanelle drives past. And then she circled back around. And then once again before she sitting in a parking spot, finding that she just needed to do this. She wasn’t fond of kids. She probably wouldn’t have even liked herself as a kid, but she barely thinks of her childhood anyways. 

The woman at the reception desk flusters underneath her gaze, Villanelle asking where and what the volunteers would be doing.

“You-You’ve been put on in the space section, just upstairs to the right. You’ll be giving kids these bracelets that will be stamped for each section they visit. They’ll earn rewards for what they learn.” She gulps before finishing as she hands over the bracelets, her cheeks reddening as Villanelle gives her a smirk. 

“Oh, you’ll need this shirt, it signifies you are a volunteer and not just a visitor.” The woman’s hand shakes and Villanelle looks at the neon pink t-shirt, wanting to trash it, but decides she is already here and should just make the most of it. 

“Thank you.” Villanelle winks at her and turns away, chuckling at the sound of the woman behind her gathering papers to fan herself. 

Villanelle is overwhelmed immediately. At least 20 kids, and some with their parents, all wandering in the space section of the museum. She wants to leave. She wants to leave soon. She’d hand out a couple bracelets and leave. She feels like she might start itching because of the noise levels and several lights. 

She’s nearing half of her bands, thinking she’d give out two more bands. A boy comes but stands just on the opposite side of the entrance she stood at. He holds his hair in one hand and struggles to get his hair tie in the other. Villanelle tries to ignore him, but he comes over to her. 

“Yeah, just take the wrist band and in you go.” She hands it out, trying to get him to move along. 

“Oh, I have the monthly pass ma’am.” He holds up the badge on his neck. “I was actually wondering if you could help me put my hair up, please.” 

Villanelle can hear the nerves in his voice and opts to not make this any worse for either of them. She quickly helps him put it into a bun. He thanks her and heads to a boy standing next to a moon art piece. She knows she should leave but she can’t help but watch them. The boy with his hair up seems to brighten, a noticeable dimple appearing as he smiles at the boy in front of him. Villanelle notices he naturally leans towards the other. She almost wants to call them over to give them some change to get snacks. 

A little girl screaming at her parents steals her away from the soft thought. She would not be revisiting it. She signs out with the receptionist, telling her to expect her again next weekend. She could deal with a few bracelets. 

Villanelle doesn’t know what gets into her, as she finds herself there the next 4 weekends in a row. She tells Elena, who she had been avoiding since her last session with Bill. She didn’t know how, or want, to confront any of what was going on. That she got some enjoyment seeing snot-nosed children enjoy space. Or that she’d been entertained by the young romance unfolding with the boy with the long hair and his friend. 

One afternoon, as she is volunteering, she sees him entering and gives him her usual nod before waving him over. 

“I’m Villanelle, you don’t need to call me ma’am. I feel old when you do that.” 

“Well ma’am- I mean Villanelle, my mom always told me to respect people.” He shrugs. He was polite enough, Villanelle thinks. 

“I insist. What’s your name?” Villanelle leans against the wall of the entrance. 

“Dakota, my friends call me Kota.” He smiles up at her but falters when he notices her face falter. Villanelle feels realisation creep on her. She clenches her jaw.

“Dakota does your mom… does she have long, curly hair?”

“Yeah! How did you know?”

“Do you not remember me?” Villanelle runs her fingers through her hair, feeling like she’s about to see the woman again. 

“Oh, oh! You are the lawyer. Yeah, I’m sorry for what happened.” Villanelle notices him almost shrink into himself. She almost feels bad. 

“You don’t have to apologise, you learned your lesson. That’s the important thing.”

“Dakota!” They both turn around to the voice. A man with the most disgusting mustache she had ever seen is the source. 

“Oh, that’s my dad. I’ve gotta go, but I’ll tell my mom you said hi!” Before Villanelle can protest, he runs away. 

Villanelle wishes he forgets to tell Eve. She can only imagine how tiresome their next encounter would be. But something tugs in her stomach. Something that makes her hope Dakota tells her. But she swallows it down, leaving the museum before she has to think of Eve for another moment. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the last few have been just Villanelle perspective, but I am setting up something... that you all will very much so enjoy! Now I'm gonna go enjoy some leftover birthday cake!(My birthday was on the 23rd, and I am now 24!)


	13. Avoiding people should be an Olympic Sport Pt II

**Eve**

They all sat at the restaurant, everyone but Dakota awkwardly avoiding eye contact. He was far too busy eating the slice of cake they had ordered at the end of their lunch outing. Niko kept nudging her foot under the table until she stepped on his foot, giving him a pointed look after. He hides his yelp with a fake cough. 

“Hey buddy, so we have some important news to tell you.” Niko starts finally, Gemma nodding. 

Dakota stops eating, looking up at Niko and Gemma on the other side of the table. 

Eve nods at Niko, thinking of the kick in the ass she gave him to even get to this moment. Niko takes a long sip of his drink before clearing his throat, Eve glancing at how clammy his skin had gone. 

“Gemma and I are having a baby. You are gonna have a sibling, big guy.” Niko tries to pat Dakota’s hand but thinks better of it. 

Dakota looks up at Eve, she studies his face and sees his brows knit together. She rubs his back slowly. “Take your time. It’s okay.”

“I have a question.” Dakota finally looks back at Niko. 

“Go ahead, bud.” Eve encourages him with a smile, moving a loose strand of hair behind his ear. 

“Can I help name them?” Dakota looks at Gemma directly now, which seems to make her perk up. 

She nods her head quickly, “Of course, I would love that.” 

“I think that would be rad. I could teach them about space! We could go to the museum together too, well when they get older.” All tensions at the table seem to leave as Dakota starts to rant. Eve feels herself sink back into the cushion of the booth, glad that Niko did the right thing. 

When they go their separate ways, Eve feels gleeful as Niko tells her that he is taking Gemma to her appointment. She treats Dakota to a day out at the only place he talks about lately, the museum. He got into a habit of carrying around a satchel, always filled with the same items. Two hair ties, one Pokemon card, a notepad, and a few dollars every time he went there. Eve or Niko would take him there, every weekend it felt now for the past two months. 

It was a welcome distraction for Eve. Because she’d been on edge for weeks, ready to bump into Villanelle again. _ Tall, stubborn, piercing hazel-eyed, get whatever she wants, full-lipped, irritating like the buzz of a gnat, asshole is probably bleached to perf _ -

Dakota calls her over to the lift, linking their arms once she is inside. “Today has been a really good day.” He beams up at her. Eve can only return the same smile. 

“And why is that?” 

He shrugs, “Dad stopped being weird and I get to see Nolan.”

“Yes, this Nolan you keep telling me about. Will I get to meet him?”

“I hope so!” 

Eve never pushed the subject of boyfriends and girlfriends on Dakota. She always thought it was weird that parents would have their toddlers donned in onesies that said ‘Ladies Man’ or ‘Heart breaker’. But she could tell that this boy Dakota seemed to always talk about was more than just a best friend to him. She’d wait for him to come around to it first, no matter what came of the boy. 

They are greeted by the sounds of music and kids as they get off the lift, Dakota tugging Eve out before running off. She had missed the last couple of visits, as work was far more hectic than usual and Hugo was out sick. She kind of enjoyed the extra workload, it helped her not think of her. And she still hadn’t asked Bill about her, and Bill hadn’t mentioned her, but he did give her weird looks. She didn’t pry though. That was his patient, and she was there for whatever reason. 

“Mom! You have to meet someone!” Dakota comes barreling at her, a star-shaped candy already in his hand. 

He grabs her hand and Eve feels excited to meet the friend he had been talking about for weeks now. She knew they were about the same age, that he had light brown hair and-

“Villanelle this is my mom! I forgot to tell her you said hi forever ago, but now she is here!”

Eve looks at Villanelle in disbelief. Villanelle seems to be going through the same thing. Before any of them can talk to Dakota, he sprints off to a young man standing next to a miniature solar system. 

“Nice shirt.” Eve finally manages. 

“This place has actually become quite peaceful for me, so, please. Let’s not do this here.” Villanelle looks back down at the bracelets she is holding. 

“So, you volunteer here?” Eve stands on the opposite side of the entrance. 

“Yep, your friend Bill said it would be good for me. I thought it was a load of shit.” 

“And now?” 

“It’s okay.” Eve sees her swallow. They stand there in silence, no one coming in for a bracelet for what felt like ages. 

Eve looks over at Dakota, he’s holding hands with another boy. “They have been building up the courage for weeks now. I told him to just go for it.” 

Eve turns her head to the blonde woman. “Thank you”

Villanelle waves her off. “All he needed was a little nudge.” 

Eve doesn’t notice that she’s moved off of the entrance and stands next to Villanelle. She folds her arms, getting a better look at Dakota across the large room. He was smiling so hard, harder than she had seen him smile in months. 

“Yeah, he gets shy sometimes. He’s a good kid.” 

“Something we agree on.” Villanelle meets her eyes, they both chuckle. It catches Eve off guard, the sound of her laughter. It tugs warmly at her ears. 

“You know, Elena and Hugo would lose their minds if they saw us here.” Eve puts her hair up into a bun. 

“They think we are going to have sex.” Villanelle mentions far too calmly for Eve’s liking. 

Eve sputters, “Seriously?”

“It’s ridiculous right?” They find themselves laughing in hysterics. But this time when their eyes meet, Eve feels a pull in her stomach. Villanelle scratches the back of her neck. 

“I’m glad Hugo has been out sick, I’d probably kick his ass in his own office.”

“I’d say I’d kick Elena’s ass, but she is surprisingly strong.” Villanelle hands a bracelet to a kid who comes up before continuing. 

“They clearly don’t see how much we don’t like each other.” 

“We would never. We just- No, god no.” More silence falls between them. Eve figures she may as well enjoy the rest of the museum. 

“Here, put a bracelet on me.” Eve offers her wrist to Villanelle, close enough that she doesn’t need to stretch her arm out far. 

Villanelle snorts, “You can do it yourself.” 

Eve snatches it away playfully. She tries to wrap the bracelet around her wrist, but fumbles earnestly. Villanelle rolls her eyes. 

“God, okay let me just get this over with and help you.” Eve holds in a breath when Villanelle holds her wrist. 

Her fingers are softer than the last time they touched. Eve bites the inside of her cheek, trying to pinch herself out of her line of thought. 

She looks up from her now bracelet clad wrist, and into eyes that seem far more confused than she thought the blonde was capable of being. 

Villanelle’s eyes shift between Eve’s. “What? Do I have something on my face? Do I have a growth there that you want to make fun of me for?” Eve figures a joke might not hurt, but Villanelle’s brows only betray her. 

“You aren’t funny.” Villanelle rolls her eyes playfully. 

“I remember you laughing earlier. Clearly, I am.” Eve raises her eyebrow. 

“I was laughing at the situation.” Villanelle tries her best to convince her. Eve examines her face again but is thrown when Villanelle shoots her a question. 

“Have you been avoiding me at your job?”

“What? I go there to work, ya know? I’m a therapist too. I don’t go there for you.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know how we don’t run into each other. Bill told me your office, hell even your art studio for people is down the hallway to the left. I think you are avoiding me.”

Eve doesn’t say anything, but she knows she is right. She’s made it a point to avoid going down that hallway. They are closer, faces close enough that they somehow fall into a whisper and Villanelle hasn’t let go of her wrist. 

“You are pretty insufferable, Villanelle. I don’t know if it’s the lawyer in you or just you. But you don’t ever know when to just let go.” 

“Have you met you? You think everyone has to like you.” 

“That’s n-” Before Eve can counter, movement on her side catches her attention. 

“Dakota?” She calls out to him, his face full of tears. She tries to reach for his arm, but she dodges her. 

“No, just leave me alone!” He rushes out of the space section, getting lost in the crowd as Eve and Villanelle chase after him. 

“Fuck, fuck. Where’d he go?” Eve curses to herself. 

“He can’t be far right? He loves this entire museum. He’s still here in the building.” Villanelle’s face looks panicked. 

“Fuck, let’s start downstairs. Maybe he took the stairs and we can get on the elevator, cut him off there in the lobby. He might have gone to my car.” Eve almost sprints to the elevator. 

They both get in and find themselves alone. 

Eve wrings her hands repeatedly, tapping her foot as they go down, time passing by slower than she needs. 

Villanelle catches her hands, halting her fidgeting. “He’s going to be okay, alright? We’ll find him.”

Eve’s hands calm, nodding in agreement. 

They head to reception and ask if anyone has seen him, the woman tells them that she saw him run to the merch store on the other side of the building. 

When they get there, he’s at the front counter. 

“Dakota Park, why did you run off like that?” Eve sounds more worried than frustrated. The cashier looks between all of them confused. 

“I’m… I’m making a return. I got this Venus necklace and now I don’t need it.” Dakota sniffles, making Eve drop down to her knees in front of him, holding his arms. 

“What happened?” 

“You know the boy that I told you about?” He looks down and away from her. 

“Yeah?” 

“Well, he doesn’t- He doesn’t want to hold my hand anymore.” Another tear falls down his face, Eve feeling his heartbreak. She figures this is the easiest thing for him to talk about, not wanting to press any other questions on him right now. _ I’ll kick that boy myself _ . 

“Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry.” She rubs his shoulders. 

“So I’m returning it. I don’t need it.” Dakota says defiantly. 

“He doesn’t deserve to hold your hand anyways. Or your gifts. Seemed far too lame for you.” Villanelle chimes in. 

“Villanelle.” Eve does her best to give her a pointed look. Villanelle mouths, “What?”

She turns back to Dakota. “Listen, sometimes people end up not liking us and that’s okay-” Eve hears Villanelle scoff quietly behind her. 

“And sometimes bud, those same people have things going on that might affect that. But that doesn’t reflect on us. You are still brilliant. So if he doesn’t want to hold your hand, that’s okay.” Dakota nods his head at this, cheeks red and wet with tears that are starting to dry. 

Dakota returns the necklace and stays by Eve’s side until they leave. Villanelle changes out of her shirt, and Eve does her best to keep her eyes up to her face with how many buttons she has undone. 

“I’m sorry this wasn’t the best day ever like we talked about last week.” Villanelle tells Dakota as they walk to Eve’s car. 

“Nah, it’s okay. I think it’s for the best.” Dakota climbs into the backseat. 

“Even so, some crushes are dickheads.” Eve slaps Villanelle’s arm as she walks to her door. 

“Ow! It’s true, I’ve had my fair share in my youth.” 

“No, mom doesn’t like to have me around people cussing. She even apologises to me when she cusses.” Dakota giggles at them. 

“And I’m sure they had you believing you smelt of roses then?” Eve sits in the driver's seat, having rolled down the window. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” 

“Are you guys flirting?” Dakota calls out. 

They both freeze up. Eve is the first to break the silence. “Well, this has been… Interesting. Okay, Kota say bye.” Villanelle seems to fluster as well, giving them a wave as she goes in a different direction with her car keys. 

_ Fuck.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spaghetti. All I'm going to say, spaghetti. You'll understand real soon.


	14. I'm not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dance, dance, dance, dance. If you get this chapters title reference then I like you, you are pretty cool. You get a prize

**Eve**

She walked into her office, feeling light. She is greeted by Hugo who agreed to sit in on the group therapy session today. She gave Hugo the coffee she told him she’d bring him and he teased her visible lifted mood. 

“Did you have sex last night?” Hugo winked at her as they walked into the group art room. 

“No, and why do I have to have had sex to be in a good mood?” Eve gives him a playful nudge, setting down her coffee on the table before taking the keys off her waist to unlock the storage cabinet that held all the canvases. 

“I mean either you had great sex or you masturbated before work, I’m just trying to narrow it down.” Hugo waves a paint-stained brush at her, she rolls her eyes as she sets up canvases. 

“I think you think about my sex life more than me at this point.” 

“Babes, you’ve been single for a good long while now, we even set up the perfect opportunity at the speed dating event! We’ve got to dust off the fanny and throw it into action.” Eve turns around to look at the younger man, his grin wider than she thought possible. She blinks repeatedly, trying to wake up from what she thought was a bad dream. 

“I’m never being nice to you this early in the day ever again. Imagine if I just started talking about your-” Eve stops mid-sentence, Hugo turning around gesturing to his crotch like he’s in an infomercial. 

“Actually, forget I said anything.” They share a laugh now as they finish setting up. 

“But if I can just say one thing?” Hugo looks at her from behind a canvas he’s setting up. 

“One, you get one last thing before I consider sending you on errands.” 

“It has been nice seeing you like this, smiling more. You deserve it.” Hugo says earnestly, causing Eve to quiet. 

“Well… Thank you.” 

“See, I can be cheeky  _ and  _ thoughtful.” Eve looks up at him over her glasses. 

“Yeah, yeah. Hurry up, lover boy.” 

Eve feels the day go by quickly, not minding that is was far busier than she expected. She ducks by Bill’s office and finds him packing up as well. 

“Excuse me, but you didn’t pop into the art room today to take Hugo off my hands.”

“I honestly lock track of time, and tomorrow is me and the wife’s anniversary so I am scrambling to make quick plans.” Bill quickly puts away folders into his briefcase. 

“Even had a client try to help me sort it.” 

“You are kidding?” Eve gives him a hearty chuckle. 

“I wish I was, but she offered to help. I declined though.” 

“So what’s the plan?”

“I’m going to make calls to every restaurant I can look up in the next hour before she gets home, tell her it’s a surprise, and hope for the best.” Bill gave her a thumbs-up as he made his way to the door, locking it behind Eve as they waited in the hall. 

“Keiko is going to kill you if she finds out.” Eve tsks him as they step into the lift moments later. 

“But she won’t. And actually-” He presses the button to the parking garage.

“You can actually help me. You have a key to our place. If I don’t find a restaurant, can you please do me a favor?” Bill throws his best hopeful smile at her. 

“You are lucky that I like you, what is it?” 

“Can you make dinner before Keiko gets home, throw some rose petals around?” 

“I guess, in the name of love. If and only if, you got it?” Eve pokes him in the stomach. 

She looks at the time as she starts her car, knowing that because it’s Friday, it’s her day to pick up Dakota from his favorite place in the world. This is a regular thing, but her checking her hair in her mirror isn’t. Or smelling her armpits after parking down the street from the museum, and her breath. Or the way she seems to pick up her steps as soon as she is in the building. 

“Well look at that, the most annoying person in this building is here once again.” Eve greets Villanelle, who is sneering at a child across the way. 

“Oh thank god you are here to be more painstakingly tiresome than actual children.” Villanelle smiles at her, making Eve scrunch up her nose. 

“I’m cuter than a lot of them at least.” It comes out of her mouth, but she had only meant to think it. She’s saved from meeting Villanelle’s eyes as Dakota runs up to her. 

“Hey, mom! I’ve got cool news.” Dakota is beaming up at her as she smoothes his hair out of his face. 

“You no longer want to use your ice cream as paint on your walls because you remembered insects are a thing.” Eve teases him. 

“Me and Nolan held hands, he kissed me on the cheek and apologized.” Dakota looks at them expectantly. 

Eve goes on the defensive. “Oh did he? Well I hope he doesn’t make you perform anymore disappearing acts then.” She looks up at Villanelle before continuing. “But this is great bubs, I’m glad that your?” She pauses, not knowing what Dakota would want her to refer to Nolan as. 

“Boyfriend, Dakota’s got a boyfriend.” Villanelle chimes in, hands sliding into her pockets, face unreadable. 

“Is that okay?” Dakota’s face is clouded with worry as he looks back at Eve again. She rushes to reassure him. 

“God yes, more than okay. You can like whoever you want, as long as you are safe and happy, then I’m happy.” Eve kisses the top of his head. 

“Yeah but if I see a single tear drop out of your eye over him then I might have to kick Nolan out of the space section.” Villanelle says this coolly, earning a thumbs up from Dakota before he runs off behind a large Neptune model. Eve looks at Villanelle’s lingering look in the young boys direction, noting a warmth there that she could only think of as endearing. 

“Staring isn’t nice, ya know.” Villanelle breaks the silence, making Eve’s cheek flush. 

“You’ve got something on your face.” Eve tries to counter. She hopes that the taller woman doesn’t try to push it, enjoying her company so far. 

They stand there, side by side, Eve noticing that Villanelle looks far more relaxed handing out bracelets than when she first saw her doing it. The smile she offers a woman that comes along with her daughter makes her roll her eyes. 

“Do you give mothers the sex eyes here all the time?” Eve tries her best to remain curious rather than annoyed. 

No, just when I’m bored.” She turns towards Eve, fixing her with a look that Eve couldn’t read just yet. 

“Are you trying to analyse me?” 

“Are you bored right now?” Eve dodges the question. 

“Not really.” Villanelle puts her back against the wall, no longer looking at her. Eve feels the warmth that was building in her hands fade when her gaze is no longer on her. 

“Then why the sex eyes?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“You don’t know or you don’t want to tell me?” She receives a side eye. 

“I’m glad Bill is my therapist and not you.” 

Eve can’t help but laugh, thinking of how distracting it would be to have her as a patient. 

“So am I.” But she doesn’t tell her that. 

“He thinks I have an issue with intimacy and control.” Villanelle sighs, rubbing the back of her neck.  _ This is new. _

“Do you think that’s true?” Eve wants to listen, wants to take the chance to get to know the woman behind the ponytail that had been irritating her for months. Something kept bringing them together and she was tired of denying it. She couldn’t anymore. 

_ Even if she is a dick sometimes.  _

“Maybe. I think I’m struggling with accepting that. I even blew up at Elena today and it just…” Villanelle trails off and Eve figures that this was as much opening up as she could manage. She was fine with that. 

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think Dakota has taken a liking to you. As weird as that is, since you were some random lawyer he had a chance encounter with.” Eve hips bumps her and she surprises herself with the friendly gesture. 

Villanelle cracks a smile, making her crinkle her eyes in a way that makes Eve think she might want to kiss the corners of them. 

“He’s a good kid. He just needs some help sometimes, and I think even if you are annoying sometimes… You are doing a good job with him.” 

Eve waits, wanting to make fun of her. Villanelle gives her a puzzled look, “What?”

“Oh nothing, I just wanted to wait and see if you’d throw in something about me wanting the world to cater to me.” Villanelle rolls her eyes at Eve this time.

“I’m trying to be nice.” 

“Nice surprisingly looks good on you, no horns sprouting.” Eve tries to touch her head, standing on her toes as if looking on top of her head and Villanelle swats her hand away with a chuckle. 

“Shut up.” They are caught in another stare, the air becoming warm around them. 

“Hey, do either of you know how to dance?” Dakota comes rushing up to them. 

“No.” They both answer. 

“Please, or could someone like go over to him and teach him something so that he can teach me something.” Dakota offers. Eve thinks he is too smart for his own good. 

“I’m not gonna teach your little boyfriend how to dance with you. You are what? 10? Do what kids do.” Villanelle shrugs her shoulders.

“I’m almost 13.” Dakota shakes his head and huffs. 

“Okay well Nolan wants to go downstairs to the dance party they have for the kids, I don’t want to look…” Dakota does his impression of a wild dance, arms flaying in the air to the beat he makes with his mouth. 

“On second thought, here. Watch this.” Eve surprises herself, and definitely Villanelle as she leads them in a small dance, swaying together. Villanelle is stiff against her at first, but settles into her shoulder. Eve can feel their hearts racing, but Eve doesn’t want to think too much of it. She doesn’t want to over think this. 

“See, it’s simple. And if there’s something fast beat, do what your mom does. Just jump in the air. Who cares what you look like as long as you are having fun, alright?” Dakota gives them a thumbs up before dashing off to find Nolan. 

They are still in their dancing position, faces close together. “You don’t have two left feet.” Eve leans back to look at her face. 

“I know the basics at least.” Villanelle’s face has softened, no longer clenching her jaw. Eve can still feel her heart beating against her chest. She smells the woody scent coming from Villanelle’s blazer and she can’t help but let the smell surround her head. 

“You’ve got freckles.” Villanelle interrupts her thoughts. 

“Your eyes have flecks of almost gold.” 

“I guess we are both always looking very closely at people we don’t like then.” 

“I guess so.” Eve leans forward, feeling Villanelle lean in as well.  _ One kiss wouldn’t hurt. _

A buzzing on her thigh takes them both out of their trance, snapping them apart. Villanelle digs in her pocket and takes out her phone, looking at her with panic before answering the phone as she walks away. 

Eve turns around and places her forehead against the cool wall, feeling just how warm her face had gotten. She’s cursing herself and poking the wall in frustration, not realising how ridiculous she looks when someone taps her on her back. She turns around and a kid stands before her. 

“You okay lady?”

“Yes, please, you’ll understand when you get older.” She barely understood herself. 


	15. Spaghetti

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW Brief mentions of suicide and inappropriate relationship with a minor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

**Villanelle**

She waits at the table of the cafe, watching the people who come in and out. She looks down at her watch, sighing when she sees that she’s now 10 minutes late. Elena had agreed on meeting for coffee, the most interaction they had had since their very brief argument the day before. That wasn’t even really an argument at all. But she wanted to make amends, she wanted to actually talk, for once. She was feeling the regret of leaving things how she did. 

She had snapped at Elena, after a morning of being in meetings, and a far too personal talk with Konstantin. He had mentioned Anna. And it set her off. The woman that she didn’t want to think about. The woman that she tried her best to forget. That time in her life made her angry, so she tried her best to not talk about it. She had just barely begun to talk about it in therapy. 

Anna had been a tutor in her school days. A married woman. And Villanelle’s need to be in control got in the way of that. Nothing physical ever happened, Anna’s fear of being caught stopped them. But with the way Anna started to act around her husband, this caused him to become suspicious. So when he finds the letters they had exchanged months after they had agreed to stop seeing each other, he can’t bear to face himself, thinking he’s driven his wife to do the unthinkable. 

Anna’s husband committed suicide just days before Villanelle was headed to France for university. And on the day that she was leaving, Anna committed suicide too. And all the letters were found, tracing back to Villanelle. And when her family found out, they put her in therapy. 

Villanelle was depressed, confused, and angry when her family swarmed her. She thought they wanted to fix her, that they thought she was broken, but she could only think of how broken her family was. They were never there for her when she needed them, but now they wanted to fix her. Another mistake. 

Which is why she feels anxious, and like she needs to grab hold of something when Elena is 20 minutes late. And at 30 minutes, she gets a cookie because she needs to not think that her only friend was tired of her. But the door chimes, a frazzled Elena bursting through the door. 

“I’m so sorry, I would have messaged you but I had no signal and I got off on the wrong stop.” She explains with a genuine frown, the tension leaving Villanelle’s shoulders as she does. 

“No, no that’s understandable.” Villanelle feels at a loss for words for once, and she takes a nervous sip. 

“I’m going to order some tea, and then let’s get into it then, yeah?” Elena makes this far too easy for her and she feels slightly embarrassed by it. She waits until she settles in with her tea, nervous, and trying to not become upset for being nervous. 

“I snapped at you, and I shouldn’t have.” Villanelle starts, meeting Elena’s curious eyes head-on. 

Elena sips her tea again, letting her continue. “I learned in therapy that relationships being one-sided aren’t healthy. And it made me realize that I both struggle to let you in, well others too. But-” Villanelle pauses, feeling uncomfortable but pushing through for her closest friend in front of her. 

“But I can emotionally dump things onto you without noticing, and that’s not fair. Especially when I haven’t been there as much as I should be for you. I’ve shut you out and I want to do better. I’m sorry.” Villanelle lets out the breath she had been holding, shoulders dropping down as she looks to Elena for a response. 

The woman before her seems to consider what to say, uncrossing her legs and then crossing them again before tilting her head. 

“I like this therapist of yours.” Elena smiles at her and Villanelle feels like her nerves all but evaporate. 

“He is...adequate.” Villanelle tries to say, but she knows Elena sees through her. 

“I mean it though, I don’t know when the last time I got a proper apology from you was. Humble looks good on you.” Elena playfully raises her cup before sipping. 

“Yeah, well I figure that it’s best to not make things more difficult for my only friend.” Villanelle quips. 

“God, I really am your only friend huh? We gotta work on that for you in therapy.” Elena chuckles. 

“I don’t need many friends. Maybe one more. Or half of one.”

“What the bloody hell is half a friend?” Elena’s face is amused more than confused. 

“Like someone who gets lunch with me sometimes and we talk about random things, but we don’t see each other outside of that.” Villanelle thinks this could actually work. She wasn’t great at making friends, and Elena was the only one who could get honesty out of her. While she was fine with what she had already, she couldn’t ignore the feeling that she was closing herself off, as Bill had told her. 

She didn’t care, or at the very least, she thought she didn’t care what others thought. Something was changing and she couldn’t figure it out, and part of her wanted to keep it that way. 

“I do appreciate you though, Elena. I want you to know. Even if it pains me to say this out loud.” Villanelle pretends to gag, but she does feel slightly uncomfortable having this much of a genuine moment. She wonders how it would go to do the same thing with Konstantin, but mentally eye rolls, knowing they would be better off going to family counseling. 

“I appreciate you, even when you are being a pain in my arse.” Elena gives her a small laugh, brushing off her pants of crumbs. 

Elena pulls out her phone, typing away animatedly. 

“Let me guess, the boyfriend?” Villanelle snorts. 

“Yes, and he has a very interesting message to send to you.” Elena quirks up her eyebrow. 

“Me? What could he possibly want with me?” Villanelle made a face of disgust thinking about the possibilities. 

“He gave Eve your number…” Elena looks away, trying to look innocent. 

“Elena... You did not give your animated creature looking boyfriend my number and then he gave it to..” Villanelle stops, as her phone vibrates in her breast pocket of her blazer. For the first time, she is hoping that it’s Konstantin messaging her. 

“Is that?” Elena questions her, seeing the usual calm and unnerved Villanelle, struggling to keep her composure. 

“Yes, it’s Eve.” 

_ I need your help with something _

Villanelle stared at the message, frozen at how to respond, rushing out of the door after seeing an address and telling Elena hurriedly that she already paid for their outing at the cafe. 

**Eve**

She unlocked the door to Bill and Keiko’s excited that Bill was allowing her to take one of his best vodka’s home after she set up their anniversary night. It came as no surprise that he couldn’t find a reservation in time. 

She hangs her jacket up on the rack by the door, before heading straight to the kitchen. She opens up the cabinets that she had raided many times before, taking out everything she needed for the ditalini arrabiata. She fills up a pot for the noodles, washing her hands before salting the water. 

She preps the onions, garlic, chili and-

She curses under her breath, seeing that they don’t have any anchovies. Bill is at work, she couldn’t exactly ask Keiko or the surprise would be ruined. Hugo is probably bothering Bill at work. She thinks she could get by with calling a delivery service, but she shakes her head knowing it would take longer to get here than she would need to cook. 

And then she gets an idea. And then she groans. 

_ Hugo, ask Elena for Villanelle’s number _

He answers almost immediately with far too many emojis. 

_ Please _

_ And why exactly do you need this to happen? shag time? Is it finally happening?? _

_ no Im gonna murder her. just get me her number and i’ll tell you about it all later _

Within a matter of 5 long minutes, she gets the text back from Hugo with her number. But she doesn’t do anything with it. She bites her thumbnail, copying the number into the new message slot. 

She types out a message twice but then deletes. 

“Get it together.” She tells herself before sending off the most simple message. And she throws her phone onto the couch in the living room before scurrying back into the kitchen to get everything else ready. 

A floral scent guides her to the pantry, finding candles on the top shelf, newly opened. “The rose petals, fuck, the rose petals.” 

She knows she needs help doing this, and Villanelle might be the only person that can right now. She slowly creeps to the living room, making a detour in the kitchen to check if the water had started to boil yet. 

“Please be a dick and ignore my message, please. If there was any time for you to purposely be a dickbag to me, this would be the time.” Eve pleads as she looks down at her phone. She reaches for her phone, breathing a sigh of relief as she finds no new messages. She is about to put her phone back down when she hears a ding. 

_ Okay _

She sits down on the couch, staring blankly, almost in disbelief that the woman she had spent so much time not wanting to be around was now coming over to help her. She types out a quick reply for her to pick up the anchovies and roses. 

And then she turns down the pot of water, not wanting to burn the water waiting, not even knowing how soon Villanelle would get here. 

Which makes her feel a lump in her throat form. She was nervous. She wasn’t irritated by the thought of being in the same space as her. She was just nervous. She finishes prepping the pasta, anything that can be done without cooking just yet being set aside. She keeps looking at the clock in the kitchen, feeling like she doesn’t have a lot of time until Bill and Keiko get back, but knowing that she has a couple hours. 

“I need a drink, I need a drink immediately.” She pulls out the vodka and pours herself a glass, adding a few pieces of ice to it. She sips on it, scrolling on her phone trying to find things to distract her so she didn’t keep going back to the message thread with Villanelle. 

As time moves slowly, she gets more anxious, finishing her glass just as there’s a knock at the door. 

“Coming!” She hurries to the front door, finding herself fixing her hair as she lets it down out of her ponytail. 

She takes a breath before opening up the door, and she’s met with a bouquet of roses. 

“I figured we’d just take the petals off.” Villanelle moves the bouquet away from her face, and Eve does her best to not stare. She had her hair down, and it looked softer than usual. 

“R-right. Uh, come in, thank you.” Eve tries to push away her thoughts, wanting to get everything done. Hoping that she doesn’t look too flustered under the weight of the blonde’s gaze. 

She also doesn’t her best to not stare at her taking off her blazer, something about it being far too attractive for Eve’s liking. 

_ It’s just the alcohol, get it together.  _

“So what exactly am I doing in your home?” Villanelle sets down the anchovies as she looks up at Eve, rolling her sleeves. 

“So Bill kind of failed at prepping for his own wedding anniversary-” 

“Isn’t this kind of morally wrong? That I’m in my therapist's house?” Villanelle steps over to the sink, washing her hands. 

“I mean, he doesn’t know that and you won’t be here long.” Eve goes around the island counter, turning the burner on for the pot to boil. 

“Hm, I guess you are right. What exactly are you making?” Eve pulls out the photo of the last time she made ditalini arrabiata. 

“Why does this look like some fancy, deconstructed spaghetti from one of those snooty cooking competition shows?” Villanelle gives her a playful look that Eve wishes wasn’t even remotely cute. 

“It’s ditalini arrabbiata, and it is nowhere near spaghetti.” Eve fakes offense, putting her hand dramatically over her chest. 

“You are right, especially with the anchovies.” Villanelle starts to chop them up, Eve next to her opening up the can of peeled tomatoes. 

“I’ll give you a taste and you’ll forget there’s even anchovies at all.” 

“I’ll take your word for it.” 

They prepare the meal in comfortable silence, getting into a groove. Eve feels like she might burst from trying to not ask her questions. 

“You look uncomfortable.” Villanelle is draining the pasta, but Eve knows she’s been glancing at her. 

“Just, I’m curious.” 

“No, I don’t find you annoying right now, let’s keep it that way.” 

Eve rolls her eyes, “Why did you come? You didn’t know what I needed and you came. We barely know each other and yet here you are. Helping me set up an anniversary dinner for my friend, your therapist, and his wife.” 

“I… I don’t know. I felt like I had to come.” Villanelle shrugs. 

Eve pours herself another glass of vodka. “Would you like a drink?” 

“Whatever you are having.” Eve gets another glass, pouring a reasonable amount of vodka in it. 

“Thank you.” Villanelle gets quiet, settling on the couch, bowl in hand. 

They fall into another comfortable silence, picking out the petals. Eve catches herself watching the way Villanelle’s hands move as she picks off the roses. How soft they felt against her skin in the moments she did her best to ignore, but the overwhelming sensations that settled in her stomach every time only grew with time. 

And truthfully, a couple bad encounters had made her not like her. She didn’t think she’d be in a semi-ridiculous situation like this. Eve kept seeing glimpses of what was underneath the overly confident and insufferable surface. She just didn’t know if she truly wanted to get underneath.

“Oh, Eve, you are bleeding.” Villanelle breaks her out of her thoughts, looking down to see that she is in fact bleeding. 

“Fuck, I must have pricked my finger. Hold on, I’ll be back.” She feels her cheeks redden, feeling like she just got caught thinking about the woman beside her. She excuses herself to the guest bathroom, opening up the mirror cabinet just above the sink to grab the box of bandaids. 

She takes one out before rinsing off her finger, she puts the box back and closes the cabinet. She yelps in surprise when she sees Villanelle behind her in the mirror. 

“Please make some noise next time.” 

“Next time?” Villanelle shoots up her eyebrow, only making Eve blush more. 

“I’m fine, thank you.” Eve waves her finger around, bandaid slipping off her finger. 

“You don’t even know how to put on a bandaid correctly.” Villanelle slides in front of her, taking her hand and adjusting the bandaid tighter around her finger. 

“See, now you can continue irritating me and not worry about dying from injury.” 

“Oh har har. What would I do without you?” Eve tries to tease, but she’s more than aware of how small this bathroom is now. 

“You’d annoy someone else, and we can’t have that.” Villanelle’s breath was laced with vodka, and it made Eve lean in closer. 

“You love calling me annoying, but who came here?” 

“You think I’m insufferable, but you messaged me for help?” Villanelle shoots back. 

They are both silent, neither answering what the other asked. Eve feels the pull, and she leans in. One part of her is screaming that she’s doing the wrong thing, but her body ignores the call. 

“Annoying people can be hot though.” Villanelle breaks the distance, not letting Eve get a word in as their lips connect. 

Eve’s head feels dizzy with how warm her lips are. The taste of vodka is faint on her lips. All her senses are being filled with the woman she didn’t think she’d ever end up like this with. Villanelle’s hand drops her finger, instead finding its place on Eve’s hip. Eve regrets wearing the heavy fabric sweater, wishing she could feel more of the touch on her hip. 

Her stomach feels on fire as she deepens the kiss, tangling her fingers in Villanelle’s hair. She thinks of the months of teasing, irritation, the snide remarks, the chance moment in court, the general disdain for each other, and it all leading to this moment. 

Villanelle’s tongue swipes at her bottom lip, and she meets it with her own, trying her best to not moan into her mouth at the sensation. Villanelle presses her into the counter, squeezing her side. 

And then Eve hears the faint sound of the front door alarm go off. And then she hears her name. 

“Oh fuck it’s Bill.” She breaks away from the kiss. They both rush out back to the kitchen, seeing Bill taste the sauce on the stove. 

“This is brilliant Eve I-” He looks up and sees that she isn’t alone. 

“I asked her to help. We lost track of time, uh we are about done. Unless you wanna take over?” Eve puts her hair back up into a bun, feeling Bill look at her up and down curiously before looking back at Villanelle. 

“Yeah, I got off early. Hugo is still there doing a bit of paperwork with a couple others. This is wonderful though. Take the vodka with you, be safe?” Bill throws out his last words with heavily laced suggestions and it only makes her blush more. 

“Yep, yep. See you at work.” She grabs her coat, Villanelle right behind her with her blazer. 

Eve is about to get into her car when she turns around to see Villanelle heading to her car. 

“So are we gonna talk about that?” 

“Nope.” Villanelle doesn’t look back at her. 

“Why not?” Eve feels like she’s been hit with the biggest wave of confusion. 

“Let’s… Let’s not make this into a thing.” Villanelle shrugs and Eve laughs. 

“Wow. Wow. Okay, Villanelle.” She gets in her car and leaves Eve in the driveway, speechless. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :(


	16. Band Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't say much, but just know that all the chapters have been written. The end is in sight, and I appreciate every comment, kudo, and just everyone who read this story. 17 coming very soon.

**Villanelle**

It had been a week since she kissed her. And she didn’t tell Elena, but she did tell Bill. Which might have been worse. She watched as his face feigned shock, to then go back to his regular cool demeanor. 

“So, why are you avoiding her?” 

“I’m not. I just have nothing to talk about.” 

“But it seems like you do. You went from not caring, generally disliking her to kissing her. In my guest bathroom.” Villanelle can see him trying to keep his smile to a minimum, but the corners of his mouth betray him. 

She had tried to tell herself when she drove off in a hurry that the kiss meant nothing. It was a silly, intoxicating kiss. She could admit that Eve was attractive, even in the odd pieces of clothes that she chose to wear. But that didn’t mean anything, she could find anyone attractive. 

But she wouldn’t admit to how nervous she had been in the bathroom with her, holding her finger steady as she repeatedly glanced at her lips. That she had spent the last week thinking about the very taste of Eve’s mouth on hers. Thinking about the smell of the alcohol-laced on her tongue or how she felt the pit of her stomach tighten at the thought of what else Eve’s tongue cou-

“Villanelle?” Bill looks at her curiously, waiting. 

She leans back against the couch, tucked between the cushions, feeling small suddenly. “I don’t know what’s going on. And I think it’d be better to just act like it never happened.” 

“I hate kids by the way. They are annoying, mean, stubborn. Sometimes they do disgusting things.” Villanelle starts to rant, wanting to change the subject from Eve. But it only makes her think of Dakota, in turn thinking about Eve. 

_ He might be the only kid I don’t want to kick. Maybe hate is a stretch.  _

It doesn’t work in Villanelle’s favor to change the subject as Bill doesn’t seem phased. 

“I’m sure someone probably thought of you like that when you were a kid, no?” Bill challenges her and Villanelle tries not to clench her jaw. She had been a handful in her youth, but she didn’t want to rehash that with Bill again. 

“I was a lot to handle but I grew out of it.” 

“Do you feel that others think that as well?” 

Villanelle opens her mouth to answer before remembering her conversation with Elena. Her shoulders feel like they’ve got several weights on them now. She was still resisting, still not listening. She didn’t want to be like that. But something about this session, and the fact that she did make out in her therapist’s home, made her want to put her walls back up. 

_ Turtles have it easy, the fuckers.  _

“I’ve been doing better.” She finally rebuts. 

“You have been, I see the progress. And it’s not linear. It’s okay to have bad days.” 

“What exactly are bad days?” 

Bill flips his notes closed, putting his hands on his knees sighing. 

“Days where you don’t want to talk. The days you come in, and you drink tea with me to avoid getting angry about the things that made you angry.” Villanelle looks at both of their almost empty mugs on the table in front of her. 

“I don’t want to get involved. Quite frankly, I think this is something you and her need to sort out. But Villanelle, you do have a habit of shutting down in your relationships.” 

“I don’t do relationships.” Villanelle feels like she might give herself a headache from trying to push down her feelings. 

_ Feelings are gross.  _

“Did you just pretend to gag?” Bill gives her a puzzled look before looking down at his watch. 

“Time up? Time for me to go? See you next week?” Villanelle bounces up from the couch, picking up her jacket from the seat of the couch. 

“I suppose so.” Bill still offers her a genuine smile he usually does, and it only makes her rush out of the office sooner. She’s pressing the button furiously on the lift, not wanting to waste any second being in the building. 

But then she hears laughing. And she knows that laugh. Her hand shoots out as the doors begin to close, hoping that the laugh travels down to her and right next to her in the lift. Seconds feel like minutes, but no one comes. Instead of continuing her journey out of the building that she was just speed walking to get out of, she does something she knows is dumb. 

It was beginning to be a reoccurring theme for her, doing things that she wouldn’t normally do. 

She gets off the lift. And she feels like her legs are doing the work for her as she floats through the hall, following the sound. 

She takes a peek through the windows of the doors, knowing just how ridiculous she looks. But it’s worth it, the view is worth it. 

She had thought Eve looked beautiful in the kitchen with her, clearly a little tipsy. Her cheeks a tinge of pink. But the view in front of her made her want to get on her knees. 

Eve’s hair was up, and though Villanelle was not the biggest fan of the curls being under wraps she couldn’t take her eyes off of her. She was wearing a dress, a teal sundress that was a far cry from the overalls. She watches as Eve adjusts one strap onto her shoulder, fingers traveling up her neck before scratching there. 

She was on the phone with it nestled against her cheek, cleaning up what Villanelle assumed to be the aftermath of a group session. Villanelle moves closer as she looks down the hallway to make sure no one else sees her peeping in. 

Eve leans down and picks up a brush from the floor and Villanelle sighs trying to get a better look. She feels like she might shed a tear for how the fabric of the dress clings to Eve’s backside In her haste, she hits her head against the door. 

“Fuck!” She rubs her head, almost more upset that she hurt herself spying on Eve than she is about that she was hurt at all. 

She looks up and sees Eve moving to the door and bolts down to the lift. She hopes that she wasn’t caught, as it would only add to the list of things she wasn’t ready to talk about with the older woman. But she was finally ready to at least talk to Elena about what happened at Bill’s. She needed someone other than her therapist to get through to her. 

When she pulls up at Elena’s place, she is met with the goofy smile of Hugo before she can put her spare key into the door. 

“Well hello darling, fancy seeing you here.” He wiggles his eyebrows, which Villanelle notes in her mind that they look like skinny caterpillars. 

“Before you start, I’m here for Elena. My bestfriend, before you came around.” Villanelle doesn’t want to barge in, wanting to at least be polite. Hugo notices her shift from one foot to the other and then gestures her inside with a sweep of his arm. “After you.”

“Don’t look at my ass.” 

“It pales in comparison to Elena’s, you are good.” Villanelle blinks repeatedly in slight shock. 

They walk farther into the home until they reach the living room, finding Elena holding a plastic guitar. Villanelle throws her jacket at Elena, hitting her shoulder. 

“Hey! What was that for?” Elena turns around in surprise. 

“You are playing Band Hero without me but also with him?” Villanelle doesn’t get jealous often, but Band Hero was their thing. She jabs a finger in Hugo’s direction, looking at Elena. 

“I’ll have you know, I’m great at this game.” Hugo puffs his chest out before coming on the other side of the couch. “My hands are very useful.” 

Elena shoots him a look this time. “I’m going to ignore you said that in front of her. But look, you’ve been busy okay. Things were going fine and then you just dropped off. I figured you’d come around.” 

Villanelle bites the inside of her cheek, feeling a slight glimmer of embarrassment that she left one silly kiss keep her from her best friend and stormed in like this. 

“Has he beat my high scores?” Villanelle tries to deflate, jaw unclenching. 

“Your high scores are safe. He gets finger cramps during You Had Me.” Elena sets down the guitar, sitting down on the couch next to Villanelle. 

“That’s disrespectful to the queen Joss Stone.” Villanelle looks at Hugo with fake disgust. 

“I’m getting better, Elena doesn’t give me enough credit!” Hugo sits on the other side of Elena, draping an arm around her. Villanelle takes note of how Elena slowly leans into him. She can’t deny that he makes her happy, even if she thinks he’s a ridiculous silly man. 

“But as much as I love this impromptu visit, what’s up?” Villanelle suddenly feels like a piece of glass with the way her best friend stares at her. She sighs and rubs her face, figuring that she should just start with the truth. 

“Me and Eve kissed in my therapist's guest bathroom.” Elena sits stunned, but Hugo extends his arm out to her with his fist. 

“What do you want me to do with this?” Villanelle looks at his hand then back up to his expectant face. 

“Dap me up because it’s about time Eve got some action. That woman works and works.” Villanelle timidly touches his fist with her palm. 

“It was just a kiss. I’ve literally not talked to her since.” 

“Wait, this is why you’ve been distant the past week?” Elena laughs, shaking her head. 

“Listen-” Villanelle starts and Elena holds up her hand. 

“Nope. I already know where this is going. So I need  _ you  _ to listen to  _ me. _ ” Villanelle feels like a kid in trouble, having never heard this sort of authority in Elena’s voice before. 

“Yes ma’am.” Villanelle sits up a little straighter, preparing for whatever onslaught she kind of deserved. 

“You deserve happiness. You deserve peace. You have random hookups that seem to take a lot more out of you than just-” Elena stops, realizing that her next words would have riled up her boyfriend next to her. 

“You don’t seem happy. Yes everyone should be able to enjoy their job, but half the time it just seems like you are angry with clients. And though, yes you’ve made great strides now that you have been in therapy for a while now, I still want you to enjoy life. Eve is fucking fit. If you don’t date her, I might.” Elena finishes with a huff. 

Both Villanelle and Hugo look at her in shock. 

“I would support you if you left me for Eve, she is fit.” Hugo’s grin grows quickly, shaking off any shock. 

“Who says I’d leave you? I’d just have you both, we’d be poly babes.” Elena says matter of fact. 

“So what? I actually talk to her and go on a date?” Villanelle shrugs, trying to ignore their flirting. 

“If that’s what you want. But I need you to figure it out soon because-” There’s a knock at the front door. Elena gets up quickly, Hugo holding up his hands in defeat. They hear the sound of more than two people speaking, and then the sound of more than just Elena’s footsteps. 

“See, your visit was very unexpected because we are babysitting.” Elena comes around the corner and with her is Dakota. Villanelle knows her eyes are bugging out of her head. 

“Oh! Hi Villanelle, my dad just dropped me off.” Dakota greeted her with an excitement that she surprisingly found endearing. 

“Eve and Niko and Gemma need a night off, so we offered.” Hugo high fives Dakota before ruffling his hair. 

“I see.” She betrays herself as she matches his smile. 

The next hour, Villanelle finds herself playing Band Hero with the 3 of them. It’s both the oddest thing but feels like she hasn’t had this much fun since-. Cooking with his mother. 

She keeps looking at Dakota, noticing that his attitude is similar to his mother's, even his laugh. And she knew he was smart, as his love of the museum was evident every time she volunteered there. She could only imagine how he’d drag his mother along to every exhibit. 

She started to feel lighter, this setting being far more comfortable than the museum. When they all decide to take a break, she looks at Dakota, who takes out a tablet. Villanelle leans over the couch to catch a peek. 

“Did you draw that?” She could see the drawn image clearly, it was of him and his mother at the beach building a sandcastle. 

“Nope, mom did. I draw, but I don’t think it’s as cool as her stuff.” Dakota brushes his hair out of his face and she notices his dimples more prominently. 

“Do you have more of them on your tablet?” Villanelle comes around the couch and sits beside him. 

He pulls up an album, scrolling through all the favorites he had saved of her work. “They are so good, right? I wish she’d do more galleries, but she’s so stressed.” 

Villanelle can’t help but feel like she’d added to that stress in the last few months. Which upsets her slightly because she didn’t truly know Eve. And she barely knew Dakota, but she cared. About both of them. She just couldn’t shake that feeling, even if she wanted to. Even if it did scare her. 

And Eve’s art was beautiful. She couldn’t deny that, knowing that the woman must have spent years perfecting what she knew. Just like Villanelle spent years studying and losing cases until she was one of the best prosecutors, she could imagine Eve’s long hours studying as well. 

Sitting with Dakota made her more confused. She didn’t feel comfortable getting close to people, but there was a magnet that seemed to keep her and Eve together. No matter how much they resisted. 

And even though so many things made her want to leave now, to stop getting attached to the idea of Eve and her being in a room together without arguing, she stays on the couch. She turns to Dakota, “So what kind of snacks do you like?”


	17. Arguing sucks

**Eve**

Her hair was a mess. Her office was a mess. It was going to be a long night of paperwork. And to top it off, she couldn’t stop thinking about Villanelle. 

“Let’s not make this into a thing, bleh.” Eve mimics the other woman with heavy irritation. She had texted her once, regretting it immediately when her “Hi” was met with no reply. She could only assume that Villanelle meant what she said to her leaving Bill’s house. 

Which made her sad. Sadder than she had been for a while now. Which kind of pissed her off. Because she didn’t want to want someone who didn’t want her back. She went through a divorce for a reason. 

But it also made her uneasy because she hadn’t had feelings for someone, no matter how small, for someone since before Niko. She had spent all of this time since the divorce working, sleeping, and making sure Dakota was happy. The past year everyone wanted her to relax, or as Hugo often said, “Live a little, let your freak flag fly.”

So maybe she did dive into work. And it had been filling up space in her life because she thought she needed it to. 

She hears a tap on her door, looking up to find Bill standing in the doorway with takeaway. She looks at her watch, realizing how late it is. 

“You are my savior. Time flew by.” She gleefully takes the box, but curses under her breath as her cellphone rings. She excuses herself and heads to the group room. 

“So babes, I’m gonna be at Elena’s tonight. Probably gonna order some pizza. Do you and Dakota wanna come hang?” Hugo sounds hopeful. 

“I wish, but I have so much paperwork to do. Dakota is gonna be at Niko and Gemma’s, but they are going to be busy.” She rubs her temple, looking at all the drying canvases. 

“Oh, well then have Niko drop off Dakota here. That way he can have some fun, you and Niko can have some relaxation. Which you definitely need. Open up the flaps of that window down there.” Eve laughs, loud. She couldn’t even be grossed out, she was far too tired. 

“Fine, fine. I’ll text Niko. Just please, don’t try to give him the talk. He already had it, he doesn’t need another...by you.” Hugo makes a sound of victory. 

“We’ll kid-proof everything. Hey, seriously. I may be all charm and jokes, but you do need some relaxation. You had 4 group sessions today, 2 meetings, and you’ve just been stressing me out the past week.” Eve ignores the last part, taking in the concern from the younger man. She leans down to pick up a paintbrush on the floor.

“Okay… I will relax tonight. Just send me text updates every few hours. Make sure he brushes his-” 

“Eve, don’t worry.” Before she can respond, a bang at the door startles her. 

“Hugo, I will talk to you later.” She hangs up, slowly walking to the door. 

“Hello?” 

She quickly opens up the door, finding no one in the hallway. She heads back to her office, finding Bill still there. 

“I was scared your food would get cold, everything okay?” Bill looks up from his phone. 

“Yeah, just Hugo insisting that I need the night off to relax. Mentioned something about flaps.” Eve sits down across from him, flipping open her takeaway box. 

“Well, I certainly hope you agreed. You’ve driven me a bit mad lately.” Bill says through a stuffed mouth. 

“Ugh, that’s the same thing Hugo said. Have I been that miserable?” She shoves a piece of chicken in her mouth aggressively, thinking over just how tired she was. 

“You’ve been less than great these past few months. And I don’t want to get into it too much. But there’s a certain someone I think has a hand in this. And again, without getting into it too much, just talk to her.”

“It’s not that easy, Bill. If she wants to just… Pretend as if nothing happened then fuck it. I’m far too busy, with a kid and with work, to worry about someone being a royal asshole to being actually sweet to back to being a royal asshole.” Eve speaks on one side of her mouth, cheek full of food on the other side. 

“God, you two just don’t know how alike you are.” Bill chuckles, putting down his takeaway box. 

“We are not alike. She’s an ass and I’m.. I’m me.” Eve lets down her hair, massaging the back of her head. 

“I’ve known you for many years, so I won’t tell you just how hilarious what you said is.” Bill pats the top of her desk before getting up. 

“I’m going to my office to grab what I need and then going home, I suggest you do the same.” Eve grunts in response. 

Eve slinks in her office chair, feeling like she’s far more confused than ever. There were some things she was sure of. Villanelle was a damn good lawyer, she was smart, she was an ass, she was frustrating, and she was a damn good kisser. And she was good to Dakota, in her own odd way. But maybe she was right, maybe things shouldn’t go any further. They would argue about everything if they attempted anything at all. She did enough of that with Niko at the end of their marriage. 

Arguing sucks, Eve was tired of it. 

Eve packs up her things and heads home, having sent a text to Niko to drop Dakota off at Elena’s. 

When she gets home, she flops into her bed, arms spread out to each side. She didn’t bother taking her shoes off at the door beforehand but she kicks them off as she lays face down. It’s dark in her room, as the curtains are drawn, so when her phone lights up she groans and squints. 

_ surprise visit from villanelle, dakota is having fun _

Eve shoots up in bed, rereading Hugo’s message. 

_ what the hell do u mean hugo _

_ she came upset and frustrated about a certain curly-haired milf _

_ did you just call me a milf?? _

_ you are a mother no? _

_ villanelle, y is she there? what did she say? _

_ hugo _

_ Hugo _

_ HUGO _

She paces her room, realizing that Hugo was no longer responding to her. Villanelle was with them. And she was talking about her. 

“So why can’t the little shit talk to me?” Eve rubs her forehead. She picks up her phone again, pulling up Villanelle’s contact. 

“Let’s meet for coffee.” Eve types out, before erasing it. “God. No, nope.”

“We should get lunch.” Eve bites her lip, lost on what to message her. 

“We should talk, and just get everything out there.” 

She presses send, far nervous about sending a text message than she was asking the woman to help her at Bill’s. 

She takes in the silence of the house, and sighs. She needed to treat herself to more moments of silence, of peace. She knew it, but she didn’t allow herself to it. She felt like she needed to be go go go. Even with Dakota, she was hands-on. Projects, trips, fueling his interests. But she was losing her own interests. 

She loved art, there was no denying that. It was her first love. But with the people she loves always telling her to relax, to paint outside of work, she knew that she needed to take more care of herself. 

Whether it was with Villanelle or not, she should get out there. She needed to let go, or she’d burn herself out. 

Her phone rings, cutting her from her thoughts. She figures it’s Hugo calling finally after all her messages. 

“Hugo, if you’ve got my child doing weird shit-”

“I gave some soda, so I hope that’s fine.” Villanelle cuts her off. 

“Oh.” Eve feels her head spinning, stomach twisting. 

“Hi, Eve.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually a bit sad to see this come to an end. The last chapter has been finalized. But, in the meantime, I hope you all enjoy chapter 17. A bit shorter, but coming last chapters will be worth it.


	18. Dakota

**Dakota**

He watched as Villanelle typed angrily into her phone, but didn’t let temptation get the best of him, thinking of how his mother told him that being nosey wasn’t cool. As a kid that wanted to be cool, Dakota sinks back into the couch and continues to eat the slice of pizza that was brought to him. 

He was used to Hugo being goofy with him, but tonight felt like a treat. Though he hadn’t spent much time with Elena, he did think she was funnier than Hugo, but he wouldn’t tell Hugo that. Something about a bruised ego. 

But Dakota’s favorite part of the night was Villanelle, even if every few minutes she would give him the oddest looks. Which didn’t bother him much, as he got to ask her a bunch of questions he had been waiting to ask her. 

“So do you like get bad people all the time at work?” He looks up at her expectantly. 

He notices how her eyebrows move up in surprise before going back to normal. 

“Sometimes I do, yes. Sometimes…” Dakota watches as she seems to think something over. 

“Sometimes, I just deal with cases of little kids doing things they shouldn’t be doing.” Villanelle raises an eyebrow at him and he feels his cheeks warm up. 

He feels smaller than usual, voice reflecting just that. His mother always tilted his head up when he would  _ shrink into himself _ . He kind of knew what she meant, but not really. “I tried to tell them to not do that stuff. They aren’t really my mates.” Villanelle nudges him with her shoulder as he hangs his head down. 

“I know, I was only teasing. But I’m glad in a way that it happened.” Dakota’s face is cast with confusion once he looks up at her. 

“Sounds crazy, right? But what I mean is that things happen for a reason. You know I had to go to therapy? Ridiculous ya know?” 

Dakota didn’t know how close Villanelle and his mom were, but Dakota could tell the signs of a crush. 

“So you visit my mom at work?” Dakota says in between bites of pizza. 

Villanelle coughs, acting weirder than she had when he saw her and his mom talking at the museum. They thought he wasn’t noticing how strangely they’d act around each other, but he’d see their flushed cheeks. The awkward looks that he kind of witnessed every time they laughed at each other’s jokes. 

“Oh, no. I have a therapist, and it just so happens to be in the same place your mom works.” 

Dakota thinks it over, no longer fiddling with the pizza on his plate. “You two argue.” Villanelle seems to find this amusing as he sees the corners of her mouth turn up. 

“We do, your mother is hard to like at times.” Dakota feels himself scoff, his body betraying him as he meant to do it in his head. 

“Sorry-” He apologizes immediately, looking at the offended look on Villanelle’s face. 

“I don’t know how you or my dad can argue with her. She’s always doing stuff for others, especially me. Dad tried to..” Dakota stops, thinking about how his actual mates would tell him he’s rambling too much. 

He normally doesn’t pale too easily but the strong gaze that’s above him makes him hesitate. 

“You don’t have to tell me. It’s okay.” Villanelle’s face seems to soften, the usual scrunched up face relaxes as she meets his eyes. 

“It’s just that, she seems lighter and more stressed at the same time. And it reminds me of when my dad and her got divorced. They tried to not argue around me, but I was up listening. I was always playing with my toys, though they thought I was sleeping. But she was lighter because they weren't together, but the whole thing made her worry about me,” Dakota sees a range of emotions he didn’t know whether to comment on run across the woman’s face once he finishes. 

“So maybe you give her relief. But I think you fancy her a bit. You blush a lot. Like me with my boyfriend.” Dakota feels brave now. 

“Oh, boyfriend huh? You the love guru now?” Villanelle’s face settles on amusement, making Dakota flash his best smile. 

“Yes, boyfriend.” 

They weren’t official, official yet but he had called Dakota it days before and it made him feel sweaty. 

“So, you should give her a ring.” Dakota says plainly, hands in his lap after setting his plate to his side.

“How do you know I have her number?” Dakota feels like he’s left some of the truth out. 

“Uncle Hugo..” 

“Of course.” 

They sit in silence for a bit, both thinking things over. 

“What do I even say?” Villanelle says suddenly with a huff of breath. 

“What do you say to who?” Hugo and Elena come back, looking awkward and adjusting their clothes. Dakota thinks that adults are weird and bad at communication. They come back to the couches. 

“My mom.” Dakota says quickly. Villanelle shoots him daggers, but he knows they aren’t dangerous. 

“Oh you finally deciding on a sha-” Elena pinches Hugo’s ear, earning a wince from him and a sorry. 

“Her lovely son here has convinced me that I should check something out.” And without another word, Villanelle gets up, phone in hand, and leaves. 

Dakota figures he’ll hear about it somehow in the next few hours from Hugo because he always knew everything. 

**Villanelle**

They were meeting at a cafe, both thankful that it was still open at night. Villanelle didn’t want to admit that she was nervous. She felt a bit embarrassed by the fact. But something in her tangled gut let her feel the excitement too. 

She sent out a max of 6 texts. All of them sent as she was already on her way to the cafe, not actually knowing it would be open until she checked. “Texting and driving is dangerous, stop that.” She could hear Elena tearing her to bits when she had been on her way. She pulls up and figures that she has a few minutes before Eve arrives. The sun was already setting, everything a mix of dark blues and purples. 

Villanelle rubs her hands together, an ache in her wrist. She hadn’t injured it, but she felt it throb like a pulse. She hears a car chugging up ahead and watches as Eve pulls into a spot, seemingly unaware of the eyes on her. 

She has a jacket over the dress. Her hair is up and Villanelle fights the jealousy watching the collar of the jacket rub against the back of her neck. She grabs the door handle, thinking if she’s about to make a mistake. 

She could leave, make up some excuse. She could get a new therapist. She could work anywhere she wanted. There was enough weight to her name for her to just leave. But that would be dramatic of her. To avoid this stranger. To avoid her to this extent. To remove herself so far just because she got under her skin. 

She pulls the handle and the cool air hits her cheeks. 

Villanelle thinks she sees Eve smile as she enters, but it’s gone from her lips as she sits before her. It stays in her eyes though and it makes her want to kiss her again. But she can’t. 

“So the kiss.” Eve blurts out. 

“You are as straight to the point as your son, wow.” 

“He learned from the best, but really. The kiss.” Eve waits for her to settle on her thoughts. 

She looks down at the table, at Eve’s hands on the table. 

“You’ve been a pain in my ass the past few months. I’m pretty sure you inadvertently got me into therapy and now you are one of the things I can’t stop thinking about.” Eve doesn’t interrupt her as she pauses. 

“And the funny thing is that I don’t know you. I know pieces of you, hell, especially your son. But I can’t seem to shake you away from my mind.” Villanelle feels like a weight is shifting from her shoulders. But she’s almost certain this won’t go how she almost expects it to. 

“You’ve been an ass to me. You’ve mastered giving me a headache too.” Eve plays with the cafe menu, not meeting her eyes. 

“I thought you were just some random lawyer asshole, with a chip on her shoulder. But-” Villanelle holds onto the edges of her seat in between her legs. Her hands are clammy again. 

“But there’s something about you that makes me want to argue with you and then kiss you so you shut up. And the way you treat Kota, well it’s nice. It’s sweet. And it makes me want to sit here, looking at your ridiculously beautiful supermodel face, not a hair out of place, and ask you ridiculous questions to know you better.” Eve looks up now, and Villanelle realizes that she had been holding her breath.

“So what do we do? Do you wanna go on a date or-” Villanelle says the first things her mind can come up with, interrupted by Eve’s outstretched hand. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Hi, I’m Eve. I’m a single mother, I’m an art therapist who is stubborn and enjoys orange chocolate.” Villanelle scrunches up her face at the last part but takes her hand. 

“Hello, Eve. I’m Villanelle. I’m a lawyer who has struggled with not being right all the time and getting my way. I do not enjoy orange chocolate.” They both laugh, shaking hands. The clamminess of her hand is gone now, only soothed by the callouses of the woman in front of her. 

“I like you when you communicate. Instead of running away. You know, like lawyers should. I’m sure you don’t kiss your clients and then speed off.” Eve’s playfulness feels different now. Now that they are talking more. 

“And I’m not saying this has to be anything, but we don’t have to avoid each other. We can start fresh. We can be...friends.” Eve continues. 

“Or probably not because that kiss was... It was something else.” Villanelle chuckles to herself, nodding her head in agreement. 

They sit in comfortable conversation before ordering coffees. “I think we should toast.” Villanelle suggests. 

“Oh?”

“To Dakota.” Villanelle raises her cup. Eve joins her. 

“To Dakota.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holiday treats? Hope everyone is staying safe <3
> 
> Chy.


	19. The Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Soon, they said". Well, let's just say that I'm kind of sad that this is coming to an end and I've been holding it off, but here is the second to last chapter of Circumstances. I hope all 13k of you have enjoyed this ridiculous story that came from me just loving the idea of Eve in overalls and a bun. You don't know how much I appreciated reading every single comment. See you soon, for the last chapter of this story. 
> 
> Chy, xx

**Eve**

Things were kept casual. With another conversation, more coffee well into the night, they decide that they’d start slow. 

Eve was usually the first to tell anyone to take it slow, but Villanelle made that impossible. She started dropping off lunch for her on her breaks, always taking any chance she could to touch her. They wanted to spend more time together. 

And in spending more time together, they found that they were far more alike than they’d initially thought. Eve couldn’t deny that both of them had walls that came from years of something or another. She hadn’t pressed Villanelle on the reasons behind hers, more than sure that Bill was digging through that. But it didn’t stop Hugo from asking any questions. 

“So, it’s been three weeks. You’ve shagged now? Got all that ooey gooey tension released?” Eve cringes under his questioning. She looks up from her notes. Hugo came to her office with a takeaway box and a mischievous look, the usual. He’d been keeping tabs on them through Elena since Eve wouldn’t spill any details of this friendship. 

“I’m going to ignore all of that and say that we are hanging out tomorrow. She’s going to come over and we are going to probably cook something, watch a movie. Friends do that ya know.” 

Hugo snorts. “Friends do that, yes, but me and you hanging out for a quick drink is different from you and her who have a history of smooching. Will Kota be hanging with you as well?” Eve looks down and away from his gaze and immediately gives away the answer. 

“Ooohh, you cheeky lady.” Hugo dances with his shoulders before leaning towards the desk. 

“Nothing is going to happen. We are friends. We are getting to know each other and we are content with that.” Eve crosses her arms and legs as if containing how she truly felt, leaning against her chair. She was content with being friends. She had to be. Even if she knew so much more about Villanelle now and wanted to spread kisses across every inch of her face. Or how bright Villanelle’s eyes were. She had never noticed before. Though they had initially only spent most of their time in a dimly lit kids museum. 

“Right, right. That’s like me saying I don’t like when Elena tickles my-” 

“Nope. Nope. I refuse to let you finish that sentence.” Eve shakes her head, not wanting to hear any more about her friend’s sex life. 

“Okay then tell me what tickles your fancy... Or fanny. So I can tell Elena and she can tell Villanelle.” Hugo flashes his best smile, Eve almost certain she can see red horns sprout from his forehead. 

“Look, maybe I don’t need all the details. But cut the shit, how does she make you feel?” Hugo’s usual playful manner becomes much more sincere. 

“A lot of things. She infuriates me with how much she thinks everyone wants her, she infuriates me because she isn’t wrong. But she makes me laugh so much when she acts ridiculous around Dakota. She’s completely kind when she feels like it and it makes me feel like I want to throw up.” Eve pauses looking at the confusion on Hugo’s face. 

“It’s overwhelming. It’s like ever since we decided to be friends, she’s a different person. Or maybe not a different person, but just a complete version of who I thought she was. She makes me… she makes me happy. And I haven’t felt that in a very long time from someone. And I’m scared to even tell her that. I’d probably run her off. I’m a single mom. It’s not that appealing for someone like her.” Hugo groans. 

“What?” 

“Eve you are hot. I mean truly, look at that ass, those thighs. That hair! Your light up the room smile. You are brilliant. You’ve got a wonderful son. You do so much for others without taking a breath for yourself. You’ve had a stick up your ass for far too long and I think Villanelle barging into your life has been some of the most fun you’ve had in the last year, that you both challenge each other to just… chill the fuck out sometimes.” Hugo finishes in a huff. 

Eve sits stunned for a moment. She had never heard Hugo speak with such conviction. 

“Wow… I’m- Well okay.” Eve stammers as Hugo looks pleased with himself. 

“So you are welcome, can’t wait to hear about how good of a shag she is.” Hugo winks but jumps when there’s a knock at Eve’s door. 

They both look at the door, surprised to find Villanelle. 

**Villanelle**

She was driving and driving. Until she ended up at the art therapy building. But instead of going immediately inside after parking in the parking garage, she sits in her car.

She knew that she kept crossing the line between good, friendly visits to whatever was forming between them. And it was hard to not come. And it was hard to admit out loud that she always let out a small irritated sigh when Eve was far too busy when she came to visit or drop off lunch. 

She experienced a constant fluttering in her chest, a mild irritation that she wanted to be heartburn but Elena kept insisting that this was her ‘opening up’. 

And it wasn’t that she was completely against opening up. She was scared of messing it up. Of being messy. Of scrolling down all of the nameless contacts and not having to feel anything. Of pushing Eve away because she was just far too much. And not enough at the same time. There was still the lingering feeling that this was too good to be true. And her itch to be in control didn’t help that feeling at times. 

But it was soothed every time she heard Eve’s loud, from the belly laugh. When she watched the way Eve tucked Dakota’s hair behind his ear when he talked and how she’d gaze at him like he was the best thing to ever exist. Which made her envious at times. Which is why she visited her at work so often. 

“You’ve got this. You can do this. It’s just a friendly visit. Friends visit each other at work.” Villanelle looks into her rearview mirror, ruffling her hair and being displeased with how it looks down. 

“Just get out, go in and see how her day is. Tell her you are excited for tomorrow. Wait, no don’t say that because that would be more than friendly.” Villanelle frowns at herself in the rearview mirror. 

“We need to call Elena.” She pulls up the woman’s contact quickly. She taps her fingers on the steering wheel as the phone rings. 

“Hello hello. What’s up?” Elena’s voice comes through at last. 

“Hey, I’m not actually out for lunch with a client because they had to reschedule but I’m here in Easel of Ease parking garage.”

“Okay, your usual spot.” 

“Okay, don’t say it like that. It’s not my usual spot. I’m just stopping by.” Villanelle tries to correct her. 

“Oh really? You rushed out of a meeting last week with a prosecutor because Eve had a headache.” Elena laughs, noticing that Villanelle is uncharacteristically quiet. 

“Listen… I just was worried. She works so hard, and I needed an excuse to not have to keep my fake smile on my face.” Villanelle tries to reason with her best friend. She knew that Elena wasn’t buying it. 

“I love you. I do, really but you need to face the facts. You fancy her. And that’s okay. Stop trying to control everything and just let something good happen to you for once.” 

Villanelle clenches her jaw in thought before relaxing. “I’m just going to pop in and pop out. I’ll even call you once I get back in my car.” 

Elena gives her an ‘Uh-huh’ before she can say anything else. She is out of the car like a flash, and into the elevator. 

She strides down the hallway, first going around to the group room just in case. When she finds no one there, she heads to her office. She hears voices and figures she can wait if Eve is in a meeting. As she listens in, she realizes it’s Hugo in her office and she can’t help but crack a smile. She can interrupt whatever they are talking about. But as soon as she takes a step to knock, she hears her name. 

“Villanelle barging into your life has been some of the most fun you’ve had in the last year, that you both challenge each other to just… chill the fuck out sometimes.” Villanelle made a mental note to thank Hugo one day, but not any time soon because of his ego. 

She feels her own ego boost into her chest at the conversation happening about her, the fluttering present again. She knocks on the door, keeping herself from laughing at how much Eve was hating Hugo’s insistence on knowing about her sex life. 

“Hey, I just came by to make sure we were on for tomorrow still.” Is the first thing Villanelle regrets saying. Both Hugo and Eve shoot her a confused look. 

“Why didn’t you just text her mate?” Hugo gets a quick glare from her before Eve waves him off. 

“No it’s fine, I’m glad you stopped by. Uh, I had something I wanted to talk to you about.” Eve gets up and closes her office door. 

Villanelle is surprised to see her in a skirt and a blouse. Villanelle clears her throat. “Oh yeah? I guess it’s a good thing I came.” 

“You are very distracting.” Eve sits in the chair next to Villanelle. 

“I’m not sure I follow.” Villanelle watches her intently, hope toeing the line in her gut. 

Eve smiles, looking down and then back up. “You just… V when you come around me, you are this magnet. You are this energy that is noticeable when it’s gone. When you are gone. And I don’t know what you may think of me but I like you and I know we are just friends, and we agreed on this but I just need you to tell me if there’s anything-” Villanelle can’t take her rambling anymore and leans across their chairs, hand connecting with Eve’s cheek, kissing the woman before her. 

Eve feels like she almost melts into her hand and the annoying fluttering picks up inside of Villanelle. She leans back and is met with a smiling Eve. 

“I just needed you to shut up. That’s my answer to whatever think piece your brain was trying to come up with, Eve.” Villanelle still has her hand on her cheek, thumb caressing it before sliding back a loose strand of hair behind her ear, out of habit. 

“I do tend to talk too much don’t I?” 

“Yeah, but I’d get flustered by me too if I were you.” Villanelle winks and Eve rolls her eyes. 

“Shut up and kiss me again.” 


	20. The End

**1 Year Later**

**Villanelle**

“So you need to call the collection agency and see if they find the account under your name. It will be one of the best pieces of evidence we will use in court. Yes, yes I know you don’t want to go to court but seeing as he is insisting that he’s not guilty and doesn’t want to settle this responsibly then we show him how much he’s done wrong.” Villanelle pauses, talking to a client she’s been on the phone with for the past hour. She sits up in Eve’s bed, phone pressed to her ear. Eve had left bed before her, not knowing where the older woman had run off to. 

“Listen, Joanne, it’s going to be okay. It’s his ego, but thankfully you have a lawyer whose ego is even bigger and quite frankly I’m smarter. We’ve got this, and I’ll see you Monday.” Villanelle rubs her face as she clicks off the call, throwing her phone behind her on the bed. 

She heads to the kitchen first, wanting to see if Eve had ordered any lunch. They had spent the night, building random lego structures until Dakota started to doze off, legos in his lap. Villanelle made dessert, as Eve had made everyone dinner. And then Villanelle tried to eat Eve, but she insisted that she wouldn’t want to wake up Dakota. 

Villanelle comes back down the hallway, opening up the door to Eve’s art room. She’s thankful that Eve doesn’t notice her, as Villanelle takes her all in. She was naked, with small fingerprints of paint on her thighs and hips. She was lost in thought, looking at the canvas before her. She licks her lips, gliding across the room until her arms wrap around Eve’s waist, fingers gliding across her stomach. She can’t help but grin feeling the twitches of her stomach under her touch. 

“What a surprise this is.” Villanelle kisses her shoulder and neck, resting her chin on her. 

“I didn’t order food by the way. I figured we could just pick up something when we pick Kota up.” Eve’s eyes are still on the canvas, but she leans against Villanelle. 

“I’m hungry now though.” She pouts, earning a kiss on the forehead. 

“You can wait, just let me clean myself up, and then we are going to head out.” Eve sways them, Villanelle groaning in her ear. 

“Stop being grumpy, you are going to eat.” Villanelle ignores this, biting Eve’s ear. 

“If I don’t eat soon, I’ll just have to eat something else.” Villanelle’s voice drops, pressing her body against Eve’s back. 

Eve sighs, “We wouldn’t get to the school in time.” She begins to melt into Villanelle’s touch. 

Villanelle slides her free hand from Eve’s stomach, up to her breast, thumb caressing the nipple slowly. 

“I just need a little snack to tide me over.” Villanelle whispers in her ear as her hand palms Eve’s breast, kneading. The other hand slides up and down her thigh before finding Eve’s ass. squeezing. 

“You look beautiful like this.” Eve bites her lip as Villanelle nibbles on her neck. 

“It’s no fair that I can’t touch you.” 

“Well, maybe I just want to repay you for last night.” This gets a small chuckle from Eve. 

“You mean when you nearly choked me out with your thighs.” Villanelle feels her stomach knot up, remembering how Eve’s tongue felt inside of her. 

“Yes, exactly. So let me just-” Her words trail off as her hand finds its place between Eve’s thighs, finding her wet. Eve throws her head back once Villanelle teases her clit between two fingers. Villanelle trails kisses down her exposed neck, feeling Eve’s hips rock against her hand. 

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” She whispers in Eve’s ear. Eve moans softly, the smallest of smiles on the corner of her lips. 

“So beautiful, I just want to see you unravel into a beautiful mess in my hands.” Eve gasps as Villanelle rolls her nipple in between her fingers, the other hand working on her clit. 

“God, I love you.” It surprises both of them, as Villanelle’s movements stop and Eve turns around. 

“You what?” Eve searches her eyes. 

“I’m- I love you.” Villanelle looks down. She was in a place where rejection would be okay, but she didn’t know if Eve felt the same way. She was far too scared that she loved another woman. 

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same right now, I just wanted you to-” It was Eve’s turn to cut her off, lips connecting with hers. Villanelle’s head spins, feeling her cheeks get warm. 

“I love you too.” Eve pulls back. Villanelle takes a pause, looking into Eve’s eyes and finding things she didn’t know she wanted. She sinks her knees. 

“I love you, but please don’t tell me you are proposing.” Eve laughs nervously. 

“No, shut up. I just want a better angle as I fuck you.” Villanelle spreads Eve’s legs apart just enough, kissing her thighs before swiping her nose down clit. She flattens her tongue against her clit, moaning with Eve as she savors her. Both of Eve’s hands bring her hair up into a makeshift bun on top of her head, controlling the movements of her head. 

“Fuck” Eve curses, eyes closing as Villanelle’s tongue flicks and rolls on her clit. She wraps an arm around one of Eve’s thighs to keep her balanced. She feels almost in a daze looking up at Eve. The woman she loved. And she was going to fuck her with all the love she had in her. 

**Later**

“Roses?”

“Check.”

“Champagne that I didn’t let you carry.”

“...Check.” 

“Those disgusting chocolates?”

“Check.”

“Then we have everything we need to make this a good night.” Villanelle looks over at the list in Dakota’s hand. He wanted to help make sure their anniversary was good, and Villanelle wasn’t going to tell him no. She wasn’t going to say it out loud, but she did get some satisfaction from seeing the young boy’s face light up. It was a new feeling, not absolutely being awkward and confused, even mildly irritated by children. But Dakota was an exception. 

Eve and she had picked him up from school, got a quick lunch before helping him pack for the weekend at Niko and Gemma’s. 

They pull up in front of Niko’s house, Villanelle handing him his backpack before he gets out. 

“You know, I know today is a special day but I got you something too.” Dakota hands her a bracelet. It’s silly and childish looking, a mix of colors that have no real pattern, but she makes out the word “tinkerer”. 

It was the nickname she’d given him, as in the past year she found that watching him build massive lego creations was a wonder. She’d even bought him a Star Wars set, cursing a parent out in the store when they tried to reach for the same set. 

“Why are you giving me a bracelet with  _ your  _ nickname on it?” Villanelle slides it onto her wrist anyways. 

“Because I don’t want you to forget about me, no matter where you go.” Dakota slides out of the car before she can say anything. This is for the best because it leaves Villanelle speechless, looking down at the bracelet. She sighs, knowing that she’s in deep. She’d laugh in her own face a year ago if she were told that she’d be dropping off a child at his dad’s house before taking his mother out on an anniversary date. 

“Little shit is too smart.” She grumbles under her breath. 

She heads back to Eve’s, glad to see that she was getting ready for dinner. 

“Kota have a good day?” Eve calls out from her room. 

Villanelle rounds the corner, flowers, chocolate bar, and champagne in hand. 

“Yes, and we got you something.” Eve turns around, trying to put an earring in. 

“What is all of this?” Eve’s eyes light up, and Villanelle tries her best to not ruin the makeup she’s already done. 

“Happy anniversary. I know you wanted to stay in, not go out but that wasn’t going to happen because you are dating me.” Villanelle flashes a devilish grin and Eve rolls her eyes as she smells the roses. 

“Thank you for this, even if you are stubborn.” Eve pecks her cheek. 

They both get dressed, opting for the more lavish dresses Villanelle had picked out months in advancement, but she didn’t let Eve know she had this all planned. She wasn’t going to embarrass herself, revealing that she was far softer than she let on. But she knew Eve knew that already. 

When they arrive to the restaurant, it’s filled with chatter and piano music. Snobbish men laughing far too loud. But that all melts away for Villanelle when she and Eve sit across from each other, laughing at how ridiculous the menu was or how hard Eve tried to make her laugh with how bad she was at winking. 

The past year wasn’t easy, for either of them, but sitting at the table together made things worth it for Villanelle. Even when everything in her screamed to run, to destroy a good thing. 

She’s dragged out of her thoughts when a familiar voice calls out to them. 

“Eve! V!” Elena and Hugo walk over to them, both done up. 

“What are you guys doing tonight?” Hugo chimes in, Villanelle noting that his arm is very snug around her best friend's waist. She looks at both of them up and down, not answering. Eve looks at Villanelle with concern before quickly turning her attention back to the couple. 

“It is our anniversary, this one wanted to go out so I obliged.” Eve chuckles, still picking up on Villanelle’s silence. 

Elena looks at Villanelle, biting her lip. Villanelle lasers in on Elena’s face. Something was different about her friend. 

“You are pregnant, aren’t you?” Villanelle says finally. 

Hugo blinks in confusion. 

“That’s why you were in the bathroom so long?” Hugo turns towards Elena, never letting her go. 

“Surprise?” Elena looks at all three of them abashedly. 

“I’m going to be a dad!” Hugo fist pumps and jumps where he stands. 

“There are far too many children in my life.” Villanelle grabs Eve’s champagne glass, downing it. She was secretly excited though. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't begin to express how glad I am that I started this story. It's my first complete works. I had plenty of oneshots, but I was not dedicated to completing any of the multichapters. I'm glad I saw this to the end. And I'm beyond grateful for everyone that came along for the ride, you have no idea how much it meant to me seeing your comments. What will I do next? Well, I may revisit some of my other multichapters and put up some oneshots I've done but never put up. If you like vampires, I have a multichapter in the works for you! If you like reader inserts then I have that in the works as well! And then some very angsty oneshots I'll put up this year. But once again, thank you for reading this silly little story. Be safe, spread some love. 
> 
> Chy  
> xx
> 
> P.S. There might be a one off chapter in the far future of Villanelle and Elena hanging out with baby Hugo. Who knows.


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